Urgent African infrastructure issues in four key development sectors -- energy, transport, water and ICT -- will top the agenda at the second annual NEPAD Transport and Infrastructure Summit 2010 and Africa Expo to be held on 13-15 October at the Gallagher international convention centre in Midrand, north of Johannesburg.

The summit, which is endorsed by the African Union, is a major effort to prioritise and promote infrastructure development across the continent against the backdrop of a recently published World Bank report which blames poor infrastructure for inefficiencies and wastage costing Africa billions of dollars a year. Government leaders, policymakers and experts from Africa and overseas will come together with top executives from the private sector, industry decision-makers, investment bankers and other stakeholders to discuss the continent's most pressing infrastructure needs.

The summit will also include the widely acclaimed NEPAD Infrastructure Projects of Excellence Awards 2010 where projects are recognised and honoured for their contribution to the future of the continent in line with the objectives of NEPAD and the African Union.Delegates at the summit regard it as a "must" to visit the showcase Africa Transport, Trade and Infrastructure Exhibition (ATTIEX), where Africa's latest technologies, products and services are all on display.

A special business networking service for delegates, Meetings Direct, which was introduced with great success at the 2009 summit, will be available once again. Meetings Direct sets up one-on-one meetings for delegates with similar business interests, enabling them to start immediate discussions without the usual effort of conference networking.