Africa's transport and infrastructure network provides opportunities for regional integration

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Dr. Elham M. A. Ibrahim AU Commissioner for Infrastructure and Enegry

By Paul Manyanye Ikome*

14/10/2010, Midrand-South Africa - African stakeholders in the domain of transport are presently brainstorming under the theme “Utilizing Africa’s Transportation Network for Regional and Continental Integration and intra-African Trade Promotion”.

From a transportation perspective, they are gunning for ways of opening up the continent’s roads, railways, and air and sea ports. With regard to infrastructure, the experts and representatives of the African Union (AU), African Development Bank (ADB), private sector and other continental institutions are looking for ways to mitigate recurrent energy and water crises across Africa as well as ways of bridging the present digital divide between Africa and the North.

In her keynote address, the African Union Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy, Dr. Elham M A Ibrahim said “the emergence of NEPAD as an organ of the African Union has brought a new dawn of economic opportunities between states and other partners”.

According to her, “the challenges of regional integration are complex hence, the development of infrastructure such as roads, energy and other regional projects are necessary to ease the process”. She questioned the attendees on how greater regional cooperation can be enhanced between states and other partners in the domain of infrastructure.

On his part, the South Africa Director General of Transport, Mr George Matalela, speaking on behalf of his Minister, Mr Ndebele, said his country has a progressive look on the African transport infrastructure. It is for this reason, he explained, that his country channels several billions of rands day-in-day out for the construction of up to date roads, railways and airports.

“NEPAD can succeed if it stresses on the development of transport through reduced cost of transportation and high quality services across the continent as well as reduction of formal and informal barriers. Once we have clarity of policy in the transport sector, our continent will grow”, he advised.

In his view, trans-African projects should be instituted to ensure that missing links in Africa’s road development are addressed. Concerning these projects, the Infrastructure and Energy Director of the AU, Mr Aboubakari Baba Moussa lamented over the fact that “Africa is the only continent where one cannot travel from North to South or from West to East”.

In a bid to salvage this appalling observation, he outlined the Dakar-Ndjamena-Djibouti corridor which will link over ten African countries. Though the project is yet to be kick-started, all the participants agreed that is it a step in the right direction.

Participants thus remained positive about Africa’s future. To this end, the Managing Director of Crabtree Capital limited, Mark Tieney said “the future is in Africa and her airline is a large growing business with a chronic shortage of capital”.

In the interim, it is to be noted that the role of NEPAD is to translate into reality the policies and strategies of the AU. It focuses on agriculture, food security, climate change, natural resource management, human development, economic and corporate governance and gender among others. These activities and others are financed by the AU, development partners and the private sector.

*Paul Manyanye Ikome is a journalist at L’Action Newspaper, Cameroon, and member of Pan African Parliament/ GTZ Journalists Network visiting South Africa for the PAP 2nd Ordinary Session.

For further information on the summit contact JohnT@nepad.org and/or millicensts@nepad.org