Representatives of over 30 African Telecommunication Administrations as well as several senior executives of leading telecom and IT companies are to gather in Accra, Ghana 27-29 March 2001 for the 3rd African Telecom Summit, taking place at the Accra International Conference Centre.

Most of the countries are to be represented at very high level, with about 25 African Telecom Ministers having confirmed their participation.

"We are expecting the creme de la creme of African Telecommunications," revealed Mr. Larry Attipoe, Senior Consultant and Summit Coordinator at Spectrum International. The Secretary General of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) is expected to be one of the keynote speakers. Also leading the telecom Ministers is Prof. Ms. Nkandu LUO, Minister of Communications & Transport, Zambia and Chairperson of the Plenipotentiary Conference of the African Telecommunications Union.

The Summit is expected to deliberate on key issues affecting the telecom/IT industry in Africa in general and the pursuit of universal access in particular. South African Minister for Communications Dr. Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri will deliver a keynote address on "Independent versus impartial regulatory entities: where does the reality lie?". Mr. Jan Mutai, Secretary General of African Telecommunications Union, will be announcing the new private/public sector partnership programme of the continental body, while the Chief Executive of the newly launched African Connection Program, the platform for co-ordination and harmonisation of country and sub-regional policies, regulations and programmes, will introduce the new initiative.

One of the key attractions of the Summit is a special session dedicated to African Ministers to highlight investment opportunities in respective countries. "We have a good story to tell, and I am looking forward to telling that story in Accra," said Alhaji Haruna Elewi, Minister of State for Communications in Nigeria.

Over 30 leading telecom companies and organisations have committed to exhibit/sponsor the event. Representatives of various governments and the private sector from outside Africa including Europe and USA have also confirmed their participation.

The Summit is organised by Spectrum International, an Accra based Infrastructure Management Consulting Company which offers an extensive range of management, financial and policy advisory services to public and private sector organisations and institutions. It is co-hosted by the Ministry of Communications, Ghana and endorsed by the African Telecom Think Tank, the high profile group of African professionals active in the telecom/IT sector. Kemilinks International UK, a global IT/telecom consulting firm focused on infrastructure development in Africa are the advisers to the Summit.