CIIN 4 Africa

You see things; and you say, 'Why?' But I dream things that never were; and I say, "Why not?" George Bernard Shaw

Project Initiative:

CIIN is new strategic networking initiative that is central to the achievement of an African Information Society on the basis of Regional Cooperation and Integration.


CINN provides an inclusive, multi-stakeholder global forum and platform for cross-sectoral policy dialogue and advocacy and by catalyzing action oriented partnerships encouraged under the GAID umbrella.

"our current programmes are based on two major pillars: Promoting regional integration in support of the African Union vision and priorities, and Meeting Africa's special needs and the emerging global challenges".
Mr. Abdoulie Janneh, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary UNECA Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 1 May 2007 , CODI-V meeting.

Regional Cooperation and Integration:

  • Focuses on the development of Information and Knowledge Networks and Resources for critical sectors I.e. agriculture /natural resources transport & communication, Public health, education, business & commerce
  • Requires large scale deployment /implementation of ICT infrastructures.
  • Needs governmental policy & Strategy formulation, regulatory frameworks .
  • Requires significant financial Investment, economic de-regulation & open competitive business environments to ensure full Private Sector participation.
  • In line with the NEPAD, and could serve a basis for African Integration and Objectives of the African Economic Community /African Union.

RI promote sustainable growth

Historically, the African domestic market has been fragmented by high internal and external barriers. In 1991, the Abuja Treaty was adopted, establishing a timetable towards the creation of a pan-African Economic Community by the year 2015.

The existing Regional Economic Communities were to be the foundation. This is an ambitious objective, but the first building block must be the creation of free trade areas that can be the foundation for wider economic integration at the regional and continental level.

There are huge challenges posed by the proliferation of regional economic groupings and protocols across the continent, characterised by overlapping membership.

However, progress has been made in the past decade. Most regions have now adopted a common external tariff structure (usually involving no more than three to four bands) – the most recent example being the EAC in January 2005 – while some, including CEMAC, WAEMU and member countries in COMESA, have also removed custom duties among themselves.

Recent ECA estimates that welfare gains from regional integration in sub-Saharan Africa alone, could be of the order of US$1.2 billion, reinforcing the view that Africa’s own liberalisation offers major gains.