The success of eStrategies Live event is driven by the highest calibre delegates and audience members, carefully selected and brought together in the intimacy of a roundtable forum, and hosted in an inspiring environment in which to meet, discuss, listen, network, and drive forward progress.
We believe that bringing the key public and private sector decision makers, industry leaders, regulators, and policy makers together for intelligent dialogue, chaired by an independent speaker, can lead to real business partnerships, and ultimately drive forward progress in the region.
Identifying the problems and opportunities for meaningful change is vital to the roundtable agenda; however, even more integral in terms of achieving that aim, is the need to introduce the right solution providers to sponsor the event and discuss their investment ideas with those responsible for government spending budgets.
Our partners therefore have a key role to play in shaping the agenda for debate, and we actively seek to work closely with our participants at every stage of the process, to ensure that they gain maximum exposure at the event. From the opportunity to suggest discussion topics at the event, sponsors will also benefit from branding across all event literature, and online.
Roundtable Speakers - eReadiness
Hon. Dr Benjamin Ntim - Minister - Ministry of Communications Ghana
Hon. Ben Kargbo - Minister - Ministry of Communications Sierra Leone
Dhadho Godhana - Deputy Minister - Ministry of Communications Kenya
Richard Mabuza - Regulator - Regulatory Authority Swaziland
Christopher Chibwana - Deputy Director - Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority
Mark Williams - World Bank Task Manager - World Bank
Aissatou Dieng Diop - Director of Operations and International Relations - Sonatel
M.P. Bikassam - Director General - Togo Telecom
Laurant Lamothe - CEO and President - Global Voice Group
Gerald Naidoo - Managing Executive Global Industries – Unisys
Fabien Mbeng Ekogha - Director General - Gambia Communications
Debate Topics
The aims and objectives of the eReadiness Roundtable were to bring together experiences and knowledge to formulate guidelines and principles that can be used in developing countries via key stakeholders in country ICT strategies
- Infrastructure where possible should be future focused, fibre optic, wireless/mobile, and able to allow for innovative solutions – however copper infrastructure can still be used, but wireless/mobile solutions should be developed for rural use.
- Quality of service is often poor in Africa. This should be addressed by regulators. Consumers should be educated in what they should expect from a service.
- Pricing – an important consideration to balance between consumer interests and business needs. Revenue generation should ensure service development; price should not be too low, but they should also be fair and reflect the quality of the service.
- PPPs provide the best models to build infrastructure. The private sector experience at growing markets is an important factor to include in development. For instance, mobile voice models exist and have proved successful so just need continued promotion.
Internet access in Africa is developing and improving fast. For a comprehensive implementation, investments into broadband infrastructures are required. Further development in areas like undersea and land fibre optic cables is a priority. Broadband satellite is a priority for land-locked countries. Mobile/wireless technologies are also priorities especially in rural areas.
At the event, sponsors will benefit from the facilitation of one to one meetings and corporate presentations to extensive networking sessions with other delegates, in the spectacular surroundings of the Bishopsgrace venue. This will help to foster useful business relationships, and delegates will be able to continue the debate long after the event by signing up to join our online community.
The common aim underpinning all our roundtable discussions is the need for progress, and it is important that the debate continues long after the event is over. With this in mind, British Publishers has developed a unique multi-media programme for the post-event dissemination of roundtable material, using video, dedicated websites, magazines and news alerts, while a roadmap for future action is also produced for each eStrategies Live event.
All this material is distributed to a wide and influential audience in the appropriate region, giving delegates the widest possible exposure to relevant potential clients.
"I think we should do more and more of these kind of interactions to get senior government officials in a relaxed mode, no secretary, no phone calls. It's magic. They are very focused, very sociable and they listen better if they are in this kind of environment. There's so much value. I think the investment that we put into this forum is definitely worthwhile."
Benny Serepong, Public Sector Executive, Hewlett Packard
“Following my attendance at the 2008 event we pursued a number of contacts which resulted in setting up a working relation with Global Voice Group for the development of a new international Gateway Strategy for the Ghanaian telecom sector. This result is a specific example of the usefulness of the eStrategies event never mind the high quality of the discussions that took place among the invited practitioners, policy makers and dignatories on various aspects of innovations and their applications in the ICT sector during the 2008 event. I am therefore pleased to accept the invitation to attend the 2009 event and to report on the actions taken after the 2008 event.”
Dr Benjamin Ntim - Former Minister of Communications Ghana
“I have met people with varied experiences here – international organisations and government officials with varied experiences. I believe there are those areas that we have already seen as beneficial to us, especially in the areas of the management of the gateway. We really don’t have enough information about it and especially on how we are able to use it. I think we have that now.”
Hon. Mr Dhado Godhana, Deputy Minister of Communications, Kenya