The eyes of the world's transport specialists will be on South Africa on 25-26 November when official observers from North and South America, the European Union and Japan join decision-makers from across Africa and senior executives  from the private sector at the inaugural NEPAD Transport Summit at the Gallagher convention centre in Midrand.

The summit will seek ways to prioritise, develop and fast-track Africa's cross-border networks in all forms of transport -- road, rail, air and sea ports -- to promote trade, investment and growth through the integration of national action plans and national economies.

For Immediate Release

13 October 2009

NEPAD Transport Summit opens up
many opportunities in Africa

Opportunities for business, trade and investment  will feature when the vital elements of Africa's cross-border transport -- infrastructure, logistics, supply chains. telecommunications, finance and border formalities --  come under the spotlight at the inaugural NEPAD Transport Summit 2009 and Africa Expo at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand on 25-26 November.
The summit will be officially opened by the NEPAD CEO, Ibrahim Assane Mayaki, and delegates will be welcomed by the Chairman of the African Union Commission, Dr Jean Ping.

Transport Summit to spotlight proposed truck ban

The Government's proposed freight strategy  to ban certain trucks from using the country's roads and to prohibit certain commodities from being transported by road will come under the scrutiny of a panel of experts at the NEPAD Transport Summit at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand on November 25-26.

The experts will come from the Department of Transport. Transnet, the Road Freight Association and, because of the potential effects of the proposed ban on traffic outside of South Africa, the Cross-Border Road Transport Agency and the Maputo Corridor Logistics Initiative.

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
13 October 2009

Contact: Tanitha Jolly
Phone:   +27 21 681 7000 

Africa's "open skies" decision under the spotlight

Implementation of the Yamoussoukro "open skies" decision to liberalise intra-Africa scheduled and non-scheduled air services while also focusing on air traffic control and safety regulations will be featured at the NEPAD Transport Summit and Expo at the Gallagher convention centre in Midrand on 25-26 November.

The discussion will be led by Dr John E Tambi of Liberia, a transport infrastructure expert with long experience in the management of 
airports, ports  and transportation facilities with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

A licensed commercial pilot, he is transport adviser to the NEPAD Secretariat as well as a consultant to the International Civil Aviation Organisation the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and UN headquarters in New York.

The Yamoussoukro decision was endorsed by the African Heads of State in 1999 in the capital city of the Cote d'Ivoire -- whose name it bears -- and has faced  a number of challenges in the years since then. Dr Tambi will update the summit on the latest developments.

The NEPAD Transport Summit is attracting delegates  from all over Africa, North and South America and the European Union and will be addressed by the head of the 53-nation African Union, Dr Jean Ping.

The main objective is to promote regional integration across the continent through its transport networks.. The delegates will seek ways to prioritise, fast-track and integrate the national action plans of African countries involving road, rail, air and the ports -- and to increase awareness of the huge potential for cross-border trade and investment.

Dr Ping and the CEO of NEPAD, Dr Ibrahim Assane Mayaki, with other expert speakers will address decision-makers from African ministries of transport, finance, trade and communications, as well as senior executives from major transcontinental transport and logistics companies, development banks and funding agencies.

The main focus of the discussions will be on Africa's key cross-border arteries and regional transport corridors and their importance in the integration process. The aim is also to cut red tape and streamline border formalities.

The summit is the first of what is expected to be an annual event in Africa's regional transport hubs.

Dr Ping, chairman of the African Union Commission, is a former diplomat and Deputy Prime Minister of Gabon,  Dr Mayaki is a former Prime Minister of Niger.

NEPAD Transport Summit and Africa Expo

DATES:                  25- 26 November 2009
VENUE:                 Gallagher Convention Centre
WEBSITE:             www.nepadtransportsummit.org
ENQUIRIES:          This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
 
RELEASE PREPARED BY:
Cape Media    Jimmy Thomas
Tel:  +27 21 681 7000
Email :  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

NEPAD Summit focus on Africa's
transport infrastructure projects 

Project management will feature strongly when the fast-tracking of cross-border transport -- infrastructure, logistics,  telecommunications, finance and border formalities --  comes under the spotlight at the inaugural NEPAD Transport Summit 2009 and Africa Expo at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand on 25-26 November.

The summit will be officially opened by the CEO of NEPAD, Ibrahim Assane Mayaki, and delegates will be welcomed the the Chairman of the African Union Commission, Dr Jean Ping.

The objective of the summit, according to the  NEPAD CEO, is to press forward with  development of  Africa's cross-border transport  networks "to stimulate economic growth and interdependence".

" Africa is on the move and we can speed up the momentum If we can get African countries to open up and share their trade links with their neighbours," he said.

The summit is attracting decision-makers from African governments, the African Union and regional economic communities who will be joined by senior executives from major transport and logistic companies,engineering and construction groups, development banks and funding agencies.

The European Union, France, the Netherlands, Angola,Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Canada and USAID  are sending official observers.

The summit is being structured so that each day starts with a plenary on the broad situation. The afternoons will be devoted to hammering out the details at sector-specific parallel sessions.

The main focus of the discussions will be on Africa's key cross-border arteries -- road, rail and air -- and its  ports and their importance in regional integration.

   One of the features of the summit which is attracting much attention is the green agenda, covering new technologies to reduce the transport carbon footprint, biofuels and alternative sources of energy, and the greening of logistics and supply chains.

The 53-nation African Union has identified the regional integration of national economies through NEPAD --the New Partnership for Africa's Development -- as the answer to the continent's chronic problems of hunger, poverty and slow growth, with the key being swift, efficient and economic cross-border transport.

In addition to the discussions and debates the summit will showcase the African nations involved in the transport networks. Their services, products and potential for business will be on display in the Hall of Nations at the adjacent Africa Expo,

NEPAD Transport Summit opens up many opportunities in Africa

Opportunities for business, trade and investment  will feature when the vital elements of Africa's cross-border transport -- infrastructure, logistics, supply chains. telecommunications, finance and border formalities --  come under the spotlight at the inaugural NEPAD Transport Summit 2009 and Africa Expo at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand on 25-26 November.

The objective of the summit, according to NEPAD CEO Ibrahim Assane Mayaki, is to develop and fast-track Africa's cross-border transport  potential "to stimulate economic growth and interdependence".

The focus will be on infrastructure development  --  maintenance and construction --  in a number of African countries when African decision-makers, private-sector executives and international experts meet in Johannesburg on 25-26 November at the inaugural NEPAD Transport Summit and Africa Expo to fast-track work on the continent's cross-border highways and streamline border formalities.

They will seek ways to prioritise, speed up and integrate the national action plans of African countries  involving road, rail, air and ports -- and to increase awareness of the huge potential for cross-border trade.

NEPAD Summit to speed up work on trans-Africa highways