BANJUL - An African Union (AU) Internet expert said Wednesday that Africa would establish its own Internet Exchange Point in Gambia to avoid costly fees paid to overseas service providers.

The African Union Commission had decided to finance the African Internet exchange program, one of whose major projects was the Gambia exchange point, Moses Bagingana said at the opening ceremony of a stakeholders' forum here about ways to establish the site.

He said Africa needed to find ways of optimizing Internet traffic in the continent and boosting Internet connection with other continents.

Bagingana said the Internet exchange program would encourage regional trade integration, and create various opportunities for Africans.

Gambian Minister of Communication Information and Infrastructure Nancy Nyang said Gambia was attaching great importance to the program, noting Internet broad band cables would be launched very soon to improve international connectivity.

AU leaders have adopted a declaration to strengthen national and regional broad band infrastructure and build up the Gambia Internet exchange point.