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Date: Nov.16-19, 2011.

Venue: Zanzibar Oceanview Hotel

The arrival of three submarine cables to Africa in the past year has not only quadrupled data speeds and cut prices by 90%, but also improved internet connectivity on the continent. This combined with the rapidly changing mobile landscape in Africa is revolutionary. The total African mobile subscriber base is expected to reach 561 million (53.5%) by 2012. Some mobile operators are rolling out national fibre-optic backbone networks and are entering new service sectors under converged licensing regimes.

What does the digital revolution portend for Africa? Is it a threat? Is it an opportunity? Participants are discussing this important theme during the ongoing 9th Africa Resource Bank Meeting on November 16-19, 2011 in Zanzibar. Their presentations cover aspects of the digital revolution including (but not limited to) the areas below :

• Governance
• Economy
• Security
• Health
• Agriculture
• Education
• Environment
• Youth
• Culture

Objectives 

1. Identify and discuss the opportunities and threats to Africa due to the ongoing digital revolution
2. Critically examine the impact of digital revolution on the African youth and the future of Africa
3. Identify ways in which the digital revolution can enhance people participation in governance issues in Africa
4. Establish and list down the role of Digital tool(s) in enhancing productivity (trade, economics, health, agriculture, education, environment and culture) in Africa

For more information, contact: [email protected]  and cc to [email protected].

Founded in 2001, Inter Region Economic Network (IREN) has organized over 75 high profile forums and hosted over 5,000 delegates from across the globe with varied professional backgrounds.

Africa Resource Bank (ARB) is one of Inter Region Economic Network's key forums that target policy makers, business leaders, media, industry players and academia, for annual brainstorming sessions on various issues that affect Africa.

Since 2003, IREN has hosted over 300 delegates from over 20 countries in Africa, USA and Europe for the annual Africa Resource Bank (ARB) Meeting.

Previous themes that comprised ARB brainstorming and discussion include:- Building Africa Through Trade (2003); Property Rights in the African context (2004); Conquering Poverty in Africa through Business (2005); Turning African People into a Resource (2006); Positioning Africa in the 21st Century (2007); Commercializing Africa’s Resources to Promote Prosperity (2008); Probing Governance and Prosperity in Africa. (2009) and Africa vs. Developed and Emerging Economies: How to Make Africans Win (2010).