Communiqué from the West Africa Regional Conference on Smart and Appropriate Technology for Rural Communities, 9-11 July 2009, Abuja Nigeria

The West Africa Regional Conference: Business Expo and Workshops on Smart, Appropriate and Resource Efficient Technologies and Products for Rural Communities held at the Transcorp Hilton, in Abuja, Nigeria on July 9 – 11, 2009 came to a successful conclusion. The conference delegates in attendance include both the public and private sector stakeholders as well as some of the NGOs and CSOs in the region that contributed significantly to the discussions and recommendations.

The opening ceremony was attended by leaders from the public, private and civil society including; Senator Nkechi Nwaogu, Chair the Banking Committee on Banking and other financial services, Honorable Abike Dabiri Erewa, Chair the House Committee on the Diaspora, Lisa Pisack the Deputy Chief of Mission of the US Embassy to Nigeria, Major General Esam Mbowah, Sierra Leone, High Commission to Nigeria, Ms. Irene Maamerh, Ghana High Commission to Nigeria, Mrs. Martina Nwordu Chief Administrative Officer, office, the Presidency, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Professor A.S. Sambo, Director General, Energy Commission of Nigeria, Dr. Solomon Nyagba, 1st Deputy President Abuja Chamber of Commerce Industry, Mines and Agriculture, Hajia Amina Mohammed Az Zubair, Senior Special Assistant to the President, Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), who chaired one of the sessions, and Ambassador Robin Renee Sanders, the U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria.



The conference discussed the use of smart and appropriate technology to meet the electric power supply needs of the rural communities in the region. Besides, the conference deliberated on framework to achieve food security, and increased economic activities in the rural communities in West Africa. It was agreed that this would assist the region to meet some of the Millennium Development Goals by using the human resource available in the Diaspora in concert with the local knowledge assets, to enhance the standard of living and expand political and economic freedom in the region.

The conference underscored the fact that over seventy percent of the region’s population live in rural communities, lack electricity, reliable supply of water for drinking and irrigation, good roads, linking farms in rural communities to markets.

The conference identified some critical factors such as hostile business climate, bureaucratic bottlenecks, corruption, that impede the growth of sector contribution to development in rural communities.

In the same vein, the conference recognized the gap created by lack of remarkable collaboration between professionals in the Diaspora and their counterparts at home in the areas of knowledge transfer, best practices research and development,

The conference made the following recommendations accordingly;

1. To increase investment in West Africa the governments must improve the business enabling environment, as defined in the World Bank’s “Doing Business Report Series”
2. Improve the interface between professional organizations in West Africa and there counterparts in the Diaspora.
3. Improve access – transport and communication – to rural areas
4. Restore the Ministry of Rural Development in Nigeria
5. Improve relations with Francophone neighbors to build a strong West African regional market.
6. Try to replicate the best practices in governance found in the top five States in Nigeria in the rest of the States.
7. Using appropriate technologies, introduce Renewable and Sustainable stand-alone energy for rural communities.
8. Promote gender equity in a culturally sensitive manner
9. Conference should convene annually.


The conference adjourned, on Friday 10, July 2009 after the Gala dinner.