The NEPAD e-Africa Commission expects to get more government support for infrastructure projects after it was integrated into the African Union as one of the specialized bodies.

African heads of state attending an ICT summit approved the structure that allows NEPAD staff, previously based in South Africa, to be part of the AU staff. Since 2002 NEPAD has had its own secretariat, and although it was formed by members of the AU, it had not been integrated as part of the continental body.

"Whenever we go to development partners, they want to know if governments are behind our efforts -- with the backing of the African Union, we can get governments to set policies that will speed up our work," said Henry Chasia, executive deputy secretary of the NEPAD e-Africa Commission.

NEPAD has fibre-optic projects in East and West Africa as well as national backbone projects meant to interconnect landlocked countries with the undersea cable.

"Integration with the AU is going to boost our efforts to implement the Kigali Protocol. We need countries to sign agreements allowing interconnection of the national terrestrial fiber projects," added Chasia.

The Kigali Protocol is an ambitious plan where 23 countries aim to interconnect their networks. So far, only eight countries have taken the protocol through local parliaments and made necessary legal adjustments.

Regarding the slow pace of projects within the AU, Chasia said that NEPAD will leverage the AU's ability to bring presidents together to agree on policies while it continues engaging in partnerships that will deliver infrastructure to the region.

"We have engaged in public-private partnerships, we know how to mobilize money and the AU is able to bring together presidents to agree on policies, which will help speed up the projects," added Chasia.

Apart from fibre-optic and terrestrial cables, NEPAD is also running an e-schools project in collaboration with the private sector. Chasia expects more collaboration with the new AU status.