Africa has seen a robust growth in Internet access and usage over the past few years and is now ready to take advantage of the social and economic opportunities that the Internet has to offer. “I am pleased to have been part of the pioneers of Africa’s Internet development and expansion; establishing some of the continent’s first Internet connections and paving way for the founding of other key technical African organisations, including the African Network Operators Group (AfNOG), that have advanced Internet connectivity and use on the continent”, said Dr Nii Narku

Quaynor, also referred to as Africa’s father of the Internet, at the opening of the Africa Internet Summit (AIS) in Tunisia.

The high level multi-stakeholder event convened from May 24 to June 5 in Tunis, Tunisia and was organised by the African Network Information Centre (AFRINIC), in conjunction with the Agence Tunisienne d’Internet (ATI) and other partners. The Summit was hosted under the theme ‘Beyond connection: Internetworking for African development’.

Dr Towela Nyirenda-Jere, ProgrammesManager of the NEPAD e- Africa programme, gave keynote presentations on Transnational Issues in Cybersecurity and the Internet and Economic Development. The presentations highlighted the AU’s Convention on Cybersecurity and PIDA’s Abidjan-Lagos Corridor infrastructure projects respectively. “There is a need for a harmonised and appropriate approach to tackling cybersecurity issues that transcend our borders, at both regional and global levels’’, she urged. She also highlighted the benefits of a holistic approach to infrastructure development for fast tracking Information and Communication Technology (ICT) advancement on the continent. 

The AIS is an annual multistakeholder conference launched in 2012 as a pinnacle event for stakeholders in the ICT and Internet sector to interact on issues of Internet development on the continent. The Summit is an open platform that provides attendees with a chance to share and disseminate Internet-related knowledge pertinent to the African region and presents an opportunity to network with peers. Audiences benefit from a panel of African and international experts who deliver insightful knowledge spanning over topical issues in ICT and Internet development.