About the African Media Initiative (AMI)   The role of the private and independent media in Africa has changed dramatically in the past two decades as democracy and economic reform have taken root. Increasingly, vibrant and independent media are demonstrating rapid growth in terms of numbers of media outlets and size of audiences. The continent’s explosive adoption of mobile technology and its ability to pioneer new business models holds out the promise of greater entrepreneurial opportunities for African media in the future.   Yet quantity does not equal quality. Growth alone will not guarantee that medias can help address some of Africa’s most pressing challenges. As AMI’s extensive research and consultation shows through AMDI and STREAM, the sector is challenged by economic and political pressures, inadequate access to capital and market data, low professionalism and poor ethics, and the rapidly changing technological landscape.   Furthermore – in contrast to other areas of democratic governance and private sector development – donor aid to media is low, lacks consistency and a common strategy on how to position media in development strategies to promote citizen engagement and the accountability of duty bearers. It is these constraints that AMI addresses.   AMI has been shaped by the most comprehensive research and consultation process ever conducted on the media in Africa. This was done under the auspices of the BBC World Service Trust and the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and is included in the 2005 G8 Gleneagles and Commission for Africa recommendations. All relevant regional stakeholders, from the African Union Commission, the African Development Bank and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa through to every significant African media structure (owners, editors, journalists) have formally endorsed AMI, suggesting a powerful consensus that a healthy media sector is a requirement for improved growth, governance and accountability.   AMI convenes the African Media Leaders Forum  (AMLF), the continent’s largest gathering of media owners and operators. The AMLF is the flagship event of AMI, providing owners and operators an exciting opportunity to interact with peers, investors, policymakers, development partners and technology leaders. Since 2008, AMLF has grown from 55 participants in 2008 when it first met in Dakar, Senegal, to 185 participants in 2009 at the Lagos Forum in Nigeria, to over 250 participants in 2010 in Yaoundé, Cameroon and close to 350 delegates in 2011 in Tunis, Tunisia. In November 2012, close to 555 delegates attended the Forum in Dakar, Senegal from 54 African countries.The AMLF will continue to act as the key AMI annual event for the showcasing of its project work and for the examination and agenda setting of critical issues facing the sector.AMI is headquartered in Nairobi and enjoys the benefits of a Host Country Agreement with the Republic of Kenya.   For advertising, sponsorship, exhibition and participation opportunities, contact us at  amlf@africanmediainitiative.org    or +254 20 269 4004