Africa's energy needs under the spotlight at NEPAD Infrastructure Summit

Energy demand and poor energy infrastructure which make Africa ripe for expansion and development will be under the spotlight when urgent African infrastructure issues in key  development sectors -- the others are transport, water and ICT -- are discussed at the second annual NEPAD Transport and Infrastructure Summit 2010 and Africa Expo  
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.

Keeping up with the ever-increasing demand for power in all parts of Africa, generation and  distribution, the looming problems of climate change and the drive for alternative sources of energy will all feature in the discussions.

Presentations on possible solutions to the immediate and long- term needs will be made by international experts, leading the way for discussions at sector-specific parallel sessions where delegates can debate and seek consensus, exchange ideas and experiences.

The summit will also include the NEPAD Transport 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.