Africa

Benin
Founder, Senior e-Content & Mobile Apps Adviser
MobileTech Consulting

Hermann aims to contribute to harness the digital revolution in Benin and to take up the challenge of high-speed Internet and content, both in the areas of infrastructure and skills.

Hermann Aplogan is recognized as a solid business development professional, a global activist and catalyst leader for IT entrepreneurship and youth employment, has over ten years of experience working in those areas at national, regional and international scope, and is highly respected as a thoughtful and intelligent individual who looks for the win-win and comes highly recommended.

He is passionate about Africa, design thinking and technology in a global and localized African context, and the potential smartly designed technologies have to solve African challenges.

Hermann serves as an Eminent National Expert for WSA-World Summit Award, a global flagship initiative within the United Nations to identify the high quality Internet and Mobile content products and applications, and to promote the most outstanding achievements of creatives worldwide in order to develop the Information Society, bridge digital divides and close the content gap. With this in mind, he is tirelessly working with the International Center for New Media to empower Creators and Educators of high quality Internet and Mobile content products and applications from his country. To date and as one of the WSA Experts, Hermann has contributed to identify at a worldwide level several thousand e-content and mobile applications and to promote around 240 e-content and 80 mobile apps.

In partnership with Afrikanet Oxford Consultech NST&T Universal Phone UK Limited, he is currently applying to become one of the leading Internet Access Provider (IAP) in Benin, and is already providing his great support to foster the digital ecosystem in Benin through the MTN Benin Apps Challenge. As the first mobile applications event in Benin launched by MTN, the pan-African leading mobile telecommunications operator, the MTN Benin Apps Challenge showcases the mobile applications industry in Benin. The MTN Benin Apps Challenge is a competition for Benin's mobile application developers, also aiming to open a new booster era of mobile economy in Benin. Benin's mobile application developers are invited to join with innovative ideas and participate in the MTN Benin Apps Challenge to seize the many opportunities for self-employment in the digital economy.

On behalf of MobileTech Consulting, a mobile applications startup and school, his current focus is also on the establishment of the first high end IT Education and Infrastructure Management Services Training Center and Innovation Hub in Cotonou-BENIN for the technology community as an open space for the technologists, investors and tech companies in the area. This space is a tech community facility with a focus on young entrepreneurs, web and mobile phone programmers, designers and researchers. It is part rigorous entrepreneurial IT training center, part open community workspace (co-working), part vector for investors and Venture Capitalists (VCs) and part incubator.

He is also working with Interim Global Solutions (Oxford-UK) as Senior Associate Partner and Country Manager to offer to the talented and experienced African entrepreneurs and startups, a global business services including investment search services involving 100,000+ investors and to provide them with seed funding from the five private equity & business angels conferences that Starlight Capital Inc. and MJSegalAssociates host each year in the Grand Ballroom of the Yale Club New York (United States).

Throughout the years, Hermann has gained experience in information technology, new media, entrepreneurship, lobbying and is also skilled in product design, market entry strategies, innovative business models inception, business collaborations (concept to implementation) across all sectors and U.S/E.U funding related projects.

Hermann is a graduate as Sales Manager, holds a Certificate in Leadership from the Cambridge College and EDC-Education Development Center (Massachusetts-U.S), a Certificate in Business Planning from Laval University (Quebec-Canada) and ITIN School of Management (Paris-France), and won the United Nations International Telecommunication Union’s Youth Education Scheme (YES) scholarship made possible by a generous contribution from Vodafone Group Services Limited (UK) for his Beninese university Master Degree in Marketing and Communication.

Botswana
Co-Founder
The clicking Generation

Agang is passionate about education and is the co-founder of The Clicking Generation-ICT Academy for Kids and Teens; a start-up initiative that offers computing and technology curriculum to kids and teens. It offers ICT grass root level education to include under privileged children in rural areas. 

Agang has also been part of the organizing committee for the Ministry of Transport and Communication Administrator of the Young Innovator social media sites with frequent updates. She has also the Student Representative for Microsoft Innovation Centre (MIC) mobilising MIC outreach programs for tertiary students and currently registered as a champion for the Google Developer Group, a platform for skilled and aspiring young developers to come up with computer programs and mobile development apps. Winner of the first Young Innovator Competition; chosen to represent Botswana Youth in ICT at the ITU World Conference in Dubai, UAE. Also Agang is a founding member and Secretary of Femina Association, an NGO dealing with the girl child development with annual conventions and programs for young girls including personal development, career, mentoring and entrepreneurship. Her work experience includes technical duties with the Department of Information Technology in UB. She was privileged to enrol in an internship program in Munich, Germany. Agang holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems from The University of Botswana and currently in final year for Masters in Science in the same field.

Burundi
National Animator
DSF-FSN Project in Burundi

JEAN PAUL NKURUNZIZA is actually the animator of the pilot project of Digital Solidarity Fund in Burundi and Secretary General of BYTC ( Burundi Youth training Centre) Jean Paul NKURUNZIZA was elected as the deputy Chairman of the Burundian Chapter of ISOC. Jean Paul NKURUNZIZA is leading the Burundi Community Telecentre Network. As formal training, Jean Paul NKURUNZIZA graduated in Educational Sciences from the University of Burundi. From that date, he got interested by ICT. He followed the WSIS process. That is why he got in touch with the WSA project. Then, he was the national WSA Expert for Burundi. He successfully attended the online training on Internet Governance organised by Diplo Foundation. Jean Paul NKURUNZIZA is following the training program for tutor in order to be able to be an authorised tutor for online training on Internet Governance.

Cameroon
Chairman & CEO
AfricaCom International Group

EXPERIENCE PROFESSIONNEL - President Directeur Geleral AFRICACOM INTERNATIONAL- Directeur General  Microsys International - Membre de la commission nationale d'analyse des textes reglementaires devant regir le secteur des telecommunications au Cameroun - Expert Consultant Informatique aupres de plusieurs entreprises en Europe et en Afrique Election en  a  Tokyo (Japon), dans le cadre de l'Asian African Business Forum (AABF), au poste de President du Reseau Africain des Professionnels des TIC, en abrg RAPTIC qui, aujourd'hui, est une association de 212 membres repartis dans 23 pays africains. Mr NSOGA JOHN JOHN pilote le projet AFRICACITY-ONLINE dont la mission prioritaire est d'assister les collectivites locales africaines, notamment les communes, dans la realisation du developpement durable par l'appropriation locale des TIC. A ce titre, AFRICACITY-ONLINE aide les communes interessees a  adopter les usages potentiels des TIC dans leur processus de developpement. Dans ce cadre, il renforce les competences des partenaires locaux dans les communes slectionnes pour formuler, executer et grer les politiques et les projets de dveloppement a base des TIC. A ce jour, 1733 communes affilies au programme. Doaula. President lu du US-Africa Business Executive Council, en Abrg WASHINGTON COUNCIL.

Cote d`Ivoire
CEO
Coopération Conseil International

Apart from his activities at the university and his engagement at the UNEP (United Nation Environment Program) as associate advisor, the main thrust of intervention's policies in advanced technologies of Mr. TAY Kudzo: GEOGRAPHIC AREA: WEST AFRICA, Côte d'Ivoire; Heightening public awareness through the organisation of the internet festival in Africa since 1997. Research and consulting by the creation of an IT observatory in West Africa, at French culture centre. Administrator of FR@NCONET network: multiplication of common access points with the support of: INTIF, Bordeaux France and the world Bank group. member of Internet Society, prize winner of the Belgium excellence centre of telecommunication (cetel), Member of global alliance for youth employment, Member of the Global Community Network, Author of many reports/ Communication/ Publications on the IT4D–IT for development Thematic.

His network is currently studying the coverage of rural zones in West Africa by wireless access technologies.

Democratic Republic of the Congo
Coordonnateur
Centre Africain d´Echange Culturel (CAFEC)

Baudouin Schombe is founder and cashier of TICAFRICA and currently working as coordinator for the Center of Cultural Exchange (Centre Africain d´Echange Culturel, CAFEC).

During his career, Baudouin has been active as consultant or expert for many noted organisations (ICANN, Institut Géographique du Congo, Ministère Du Plan, Union Africaine, …) and was working in various different countries (Djibouti, Sénégal, Benin, Tchad, …).

He holds a degree in Information and Communication Sciences in Kinshasa and has obtained many certificates in Internet-Government and e-education.

Furthermore he is member of the Task Force of dot Africa for the African Union and member of the Internet User Community de CANN.

Ethiopia
President
Ethiopian Information Technology Professional Association

Dagmawi Lemma has been involved in the ICT area and related field such as GIS (Geographical Information System) and CAD (Computer Aided Design) for more than 13 years. He received both his BSc and MSc Degree in Computer Science at Addis Ababa University. In line of his professional career he worked at managerial positions as well; as Deputy Manger of HiLCoE Computer Systems and Engineering, IT Manger of Afro European Engineers. He is now PhD Candidate at Addis Ababa University IT Doctoral Program in Software Engineering Track, Lecturer at Addis Ababa University, President of Ethiopian IT Professionals Association, Consulting Director General at JoInT Computer Systems and Services. Dagmawi is also the author of "How to Build Malicious Process Conscious Operating System" (Book) ISBN 3639210050

He has worked as Technical Committee member for the policy making of Standardization of Ethiopian IT Professionals. Before he becomes president of EITPA, he represented EITPA as one of the Intermediary Organizations (IOs) from Africa during NOV@TECH. His role, among others, was to facilitate and nominate and select potential ICT projects and firms. For his active participation and contribution he has been selected as one of the 5 IOs representatives invited to CeBIT, Hannover, Germany.