New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and Africa.com Join Forces to support African Small Businesses

The Secretary General of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD)Council and the Chairman of Africa.com announced that they have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with a goal of supporting socio-economic development on the African continent.

Under the MOU, the two parties will support one another’s efforts in ensuring that Africa’s small and medium businesses have affordable access to the web and the Africa.com domain name, and to address the critical issue of youth unemployment across the African continent through the development of entrepreneurial opportunities in the technology sector. The MOU emphasizes both parties’ commitments to building local institutions.

The partnership between the two parties is being forged as Africa.com, the world’s largest Africa-related website with over 3 million visitors per month from over 200 countries around the world, launches its domain name business. This business has two components. For the first time, small businesses will have the opportunity to build their online businesses on a domain that speaks to their pan-African identity. For example, a travel agent can register the name travel.africa.com or a vendor of mobile devices can register phones.africa.com. Second, after the small business registers the name, they can secure in one place, all of the services they need to take their African business online: email, hosting, a do-it-yourself website builder, etc.

The NEPAD Council, an independent not-for-profit organization comprised of African professionals and scholars, recognized the potential of the Africa.com offering to engage youth across the continent, and to provide a platform upon which they can engage with the global digital ecosystem, while promoting a positive pan-African identity. The NEPAD Council Secretary General, Dr. Adesina Iluyemi said, “We are looking forward to partner with Africa.com to give web presence and visibility to Africa’s businesses, and to provide training to the youth throughout the continent on how to get their businesses, ideas and projects online, we recognized the power that this effort has to address youth unemployment in Africa.”

Africa.com Chairman and CEO Teresa Clarke, said, ”Africa.com has long held a deep regard for the important work undertaken by the NEPAD Council to mobilize and energize global action. The NEPAD Council is an organization of Africa’s best minds,who are committed to promoting and advancing accumulative and inclusive socio-economic development in Africa. We are pleased to be one element of their comprehensive strategic framework for creating opportunities for Africa’s businesses and youth.”