`Shola TAYLOR, is an independent consultant and a leading authority on ICT in Africa. With over 25 years of postgraduate professional experience, and extensive worldwide travel including to about 40 African countries, he has developed an enviable record of professional expertise on ICT infrastructure development in Africa.

‘Shola has held a number of international positions including Regional Director for Africa at Inmarsat UK, Project Director, RASCOM and Project Coordinator, SPACECOM, both at the ITU, Switzerland. Prior to these, he held technical positions at INTELSAT USA, NITEL Nigeria and the Ultra Electronic Communications Ltd, UK.

Previous appointments include Board Member, Nigerian Communications Commission, Coordinator, African Telecom Think Tank, and Member Advisory Group on ICT to the South African Minister for Communications.

He is currently a member of the E Africa Commission, and was elected in 2002 as a member of the ITU Radio Regulations Board where he now holds the position of Board Vice Chairman for the year 2004

In December 1999, he founded Kemilinks International and since then held the position of Principal Consultant/CEO in which capacity he leads the firm in undertaking several medium to large consultancy assignments for a number of local, regional and international clients. ‘Shola graduated at the University of Essex UK, with an MSc in Telecommunications Systems

Contact

Email: shola.taylor@kemilinks.com

           www.kemilinks.com

           'Shola TAYLOR, is an independent consultant and a leading authority on ICT in Africa. With over 25 years postgraduate and professional experience, and extensive worldwide travel including to about 40 African countries, he has developed an enviable record of professional expertise on ICT infrastructure development in Africa.

`Shola TAYLOR is an independent consultant and a leading authority on information and communication technology (ICT) in Africa with over 25 years of postgraduate professional experience in the international ICT sector and extensive worldwide travel including to about 40 African countries. During this period, he has developed an enviable record of professional expertise on ICT infrastructure development in Africa and has become a particularly well known and widely respected figure in the African ICT community.

He founded Kemilinks International and assumed the position of Principal Consultant/CEO in December 1999, after leaving the services of UK based Inmarsat Ltd., as its Regional Director for Africa, where he was responsible for developing and growing the Inmarsat business in Africa.

He played an active role in the restructuring of Inmarsat from an intergovernmental quasi-commercial organization to a fully commercial and private company. He also facilitated the establishment of new distribution channels and assisted many African countries to adopt a favourable telecommunications policy and regulatory regime.

Prior to his Inmarsat appointment in 1994, he was at the Geneva based International Telecommunication Union (ITU) for about 8 years, where he first served as Director, RASCOM (Regional African Satellite Communication) project, the most comprehensive African telecommunications project to date, and thereafter as ITU Consultant/Project Leader for the world-wide SPACECOM project, an ITU initiative, designed to assist developing countries to maximize the benefits of satellite communications in the expansion of their telecommunications infrastructure.

Whilst at the ITU as a consultant, ‘Shola acted as a key adviser on telecommunications issues to the African National Congress (South Africa) prior to the first democratic elections in that country.

Before joining the ITU, 'Shola had participated actively in several communication engineering projects. He served at the International Telecommunication Satellite Organization (INTELSAT), Washington D.C., (1985-1987) as a Technical Staff Member, the Nigerian Telecommunications PLC. (1981 - 1985) as a Senior Engineer and the Ultra Electronic Communications Ltd, UK, (1979 - 1980) as a Development Engineer.

‘Shola TAYLOR regularly advises African ICT policy makers, regulators and operators as well as regional African institutions on telecom and other ICT policy and regulatory issues (particularly restructuring), technological options as well as commercial arrangements designed to improve the African information and communication technology infrastructure.

He was nominated in 1992 as one of the top 100 professionals who direct and shape the direction of satellite communications technology in the world. He also served on the Board of the Nigerian Communications Commission. He served as a member of the African Advisory Group on Information and Communication Technology set up by the South African Minister for Communications.

'Shola was elected in March 1999 as coordinator of the African Telecom Think Tank, a world-wide association of African professionals active in the telecom sector. ‘Shola is a member of the Institute of Directors of the UK.

He was appointed by African leaders as one of the members of the E-Africa Commission, the body assigned to shape the development of ICT infrastructure within the NEPAD framework.

Shola was elected in October 2002 as a member of the ITU Radio Regulations Board in Marakesh Morocco for a 4 year term and was subsequently elected to serve as the Vice Chairman of the Board for the year 2004.

He graduated at the University of Essex, UK with a Master of Science (MSc) degree in Telecommunications Systems and has delivered papers and lectures at numerous international conferences, seminars and workshops on various issues in telecommunications and information technology.

‘Shola leads the consultancy team at Kemilinks International in undertaking several medium to large consultancy projects for a number of local, regional and international clients.