NEPAD transport summit sets out to un-block Africa’s infrastructure potential

By Andrew Kanyegirire Midrand, 25 November 2009 – “NEPAD believes that the main route to reducing poverty is through good infrastructure. This is why roads, telecommunications, pipelines, logistics and enabling border formalities have always been at the centre of the NEPAD development agenda”, said Ambassador Willoughby Olukorede, the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of NEPAD, during his opening remarks at the first ever NEPAD Transport Summit which is being held at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand, South Africa from the 25th to the 26th of November. The summit is aimed at finding ways in which to prioritise, develop and fast-track Africa's cross-border networks in all forms of transport - road, rail, air and sea ports - to promote trade, investment and growth through the integration of national action plans and national economies. This summit is the first of what is expected to become an annual event taking place in rotation in Africa's main regional transport hubs.

During the opening session, Ambassador Juma Mwapachu, the Secretary General of the East African Community, briefed the participants about the progress being made on the North-South Corridor. According to Amb. Mwapachu, the North-South Corridor Programme has enabled the Regional Economic Communities of COMESA, EAC and SADC to implement an economic corridor-based approach to reducing costs of cross-border trade in Sub-Saharan Africa. “The high cost of doing business in Africa is hurting our economic development and this also has implications for our competitiveness and economic development”, he added. It is in this regard that the corridor seeks to enable producers and traders to be more competitive, thereby creating higher levels of economic growth, employment creation and reduced poverty in the region. In his remarks, Mr. George Mahlalela the Acting Director General of South Africa’s Department of Transport called upon the African Union and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) to carry on working towards the reduction of transport costs, the removal of formal and informal barriers to the movement of people, improved regional integration and increased public-private partnerships in transport. Mr. Mahlalela went on to add that the bulk of the work on the transport services for the 2010 World Cup had been completed. Drawing on recent studies undertaken by the World Bank, Mr. Juan Gavaria a Lead Transport Economist at the Bank also went on to highlight that Africa’s infrastructure was lagging behind that of other developing regions. “Africa’s infrastructure services are several times more expensive than elsewhere. There is low transport quality and high transport costs”, said Gavaria. He called upon policy makers, business and the international community to change this by supporting the actions that are being undertaken by Africans through the AU-NEPAD infrastructure plans. Such plans include the NEPAD concept of a New East-West transport corridor (NEWCOR). According to Mr. Adama Deen, the Advisor for Transport and Head of Infrastructure at NEPAD, NEWCOR will run across the centre of the continent – from West to East – as part of an attempt to augment the already established North-South Corridor. NEWCOR, which has a timeline of 2010-2030, is expected to help develop and regionally integrate Africa’s infrastructure. The 53-nation AU sees this regional integration, through its NEPAD programme, as the key in its efforts to eradicate the continent's chronic problems of hunger and poverty. The summit is attracting decision-makers from African governments, the AU and RECs who will be joined by senior executives from major transport and logistic companies, engineering and construction groups, development banks and funding agencies. African countries that are taking part in the NEPAD Transport Summit 2009 include Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Guinea, Kenya, Libya, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa and Zambia. Official observers from the European Investment Bank, the European Union, the Japan International Cooperation Agency, the United Sates Agency for International Development and from Canada, France and the Netherlands are also in attendance at the summit. In addition to discussions and debate - the summit is also showcasing the countries involved in the transport networks and regional transport corridors. They are displaying their products, services and business and trade potential in the African Transport, Trade and Investment Expo. For more information please contact: Tellephone: +27 (0) 11 256 3600 Email:info@nepad.org Website: www.nepadtransportsummit.org or www.nepad.org back to top ^

Partnering for Action on Africa’s Farms

By Prof. Richard Mkandawire and Dr. Akinwumi Adesina Midrand/Nairobi, 18 November - African farmers are seeding prosperity. Just ask the woman they call “Marie Nerica” who is sowing a new breed of Nerica rice in Sierra Leone. She now produces enough to sell the surplus in local markets and to the government. Her success sprang from the government’s renewed commitment to agriculture, sealed when it recently signed a compact known as the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program, or CAADP, coordinated by the African Union’s New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD). Or ask Peter and Joanina Kibuti in Kenya’s Embu town. Using improved seed, fertilizer, government vouchers and the advice of extension officers, they more than tripled their maize yields. Their farmers’ coop shared the cost of transportation and opened a cereal bank to safely store their surplus, further boosting their incomes. Joanina is happy because, for the first time, she is able to pay her daughter’s school fees on time. Their success sprang from work supported by the Kenyan government and by AGRA, the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa. Its integrated programs in seeds, soil health, markets, policy and innovative finance are transforming smallholder farming and agricultural value chains in 14 African countries.

Now NEPAD and AGRA are poised to scale-up such successes in countries across sub-Saharan Africa, as they join forces to boost agricultural productivity. The two African-led initiatives both recognize that to achieve food security and spur economic development, African countries need to substantially raise the productivity, incomes and sustainability of millions of smallholder farmers. Today, some 218 million Africans are hungry every day, and 38% of children under five suffer from malnutrition. Ironically, hunger and malnutrition is most acute among the families of rural farmers, who have struggled for decades without support of any kind. The partnership between AGRA and NEPAD – which both have deep African roots and broad global support — opens a new chapter in Africa’s agricultural development. NEPAD has mobilized political support among African governments to prioritize and invest in agriculture. It works through CAADP, which was endorsed by the African Union Assembly in 2003. Critically, CAADP pledges African governments to devote at least 10% of their national budgets to agriculture, in pursuit of 6% annual agricultural growth. Progress has been meaningful: 12 countries have now signed CAADP compacts, and some countries, including Malawi, Tanzania, Rwanda, Mali, Ethiopia, Ghana and Nigeria have met the 10% goal. But much more remains to be done, and quickly, as the mounting pressures of population growth, climate change and global food price volatility continue to work against African food security. AGRA’s integrated programs have already benefited hundreds of thousands of smallholder farmers through increasing their access to sustainable technologies; promoting polices of comprehensive support for smallholder farmers; nurturing the growth of a dynamic African agricultural private sector and increasing the availability of affordable loans for small-scale agriculture. These programs will help implement CAADP on the ground, starting with high-potential breadbasket areas with relatively good soil, rainfall, infrastructure and large numbers of smallholder farmers. The new partnership, launched on 9 November 2009 in Abuja, Nigeria, pledges the two organizations to work together through CAADP country roundtable processes which plan strategic investments in agriculture. The roundtables allow all partners, from farmers’ organizations to government Ministries, to identify targeted investments which can galvanize the whole agricultural value chain and accelerate the production of food surpluses to feed Africa. The two partners join hands to advocate for policies that support smallholder farmers; build countries’ parliamentary and institutional policy-making capacity; build the capacity of Africa’s public and private institutions involved in Africa, and partner with other stakeholders to co-convene an annual African Green Revolution Conference. Helping Africa to feed itself and transform its agriculture into a more productive, competitive and environmentally sustainable system is the greatest challenge of our time. African leaders have called for a uniquely African green revolution – one that is unique to Africa’s needs and ecologies and which raises the productivity and incomes of smallholder farmers. It is our hope and intention that by combining the strengths of these two organizations and our unshakeable commitment to improving the lives of African farmers, we can help usher in a new era of food security and prosperity for Africa. By Prof. Richard Mkandawire, Agriculture Adviser, New Partnership for Africa’s Development, Head of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program, and Dr Akinwumi Adesina, Vice President, Policy and Partnerships, Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa. For more information contact us on: Telephone: +27 (0) 11 256 3635 Email: info@nepad.org back to top ^

NEPAD highlights the value of the UN’s regional mechanism

By Andrew Kanyegirire Integration into the AU is on track “Let me state clearly that the integration of NEPAD into the AU is fully on course. Under the leadership of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC), Dr. Jean Ping, the AUC and the NEPAD Secretariat have taken bold steps in implementing the decisions of African leaders on integration”, said Dr. Mayaki. Addis Ababa, 5 November 2009 – The United Nations (UN) - Regional Coordination Mechanism (RCM) is an essential instrument to promote policy dialogue and monitor UN system-wide support to advance the vision of the African Union (AU) and its programme of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), said Dr. Ibrahim Mayaki the NEPAD Chief Executive Officer. Dr. Mayaki was addressing the opening of the 10th meeting of the RCM, which is designed to ensure that the various UN departments, agencies and other components in the region work more effectively together in terms of their support towards the work of the AU and its NEPAD programme.

The RCM was officially opened by the UN’s Deputy Secretary-General Dr. Asha-Rose Migiro who underscored the urgency of enhancing the level of coordination among UN bodies in the region. She noted that the target for achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) is fast approaching. “With just over five years left in the MDG period, we must do everything possible to ensure that the Goals are met, across this region, and within each country,” she said. “As we take stock of the work of the RCM, we must build on our synergies and complementaries. NEPAD is ready to contribute its quota to making this Mechanism work effectively and efficiently”, said Dr. Mayaki. Integration of NEPAD into the AU Mr. Erastus Mwencha the Deputy Chairperson briefed the participants about the progress so far made with regard to the ongoing integration of NEPAD into the AU Structures. He highlighted the fact that both institutions had adopted a common budget, roles and procedures and have agreed on core areas of focus. A unit to coordinate the integration process has also been set-up at the AU. “Let me state clearly that the integration of NEPAD into the AU structures is fully on course. Under the leadership of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC), Dr. Jean Ping, the AUC and the NEPAD Secretariat have taken bold steps in implementing the decisions of African leaders on integration”, said earlier the NEPAD CEO while addressing the participants. It is also in the same breath that the NEPAD CEO did acknowledge the Work Programme Harmonization Session’ held on Tuesday 3rd Nov 09, at the AU between senior staff from NEPAD and the AUC that helped to provided more clarity about the core tasks, roles and functions of the two institutions with regard to their joint development agenda. For more information please contact: Tellephone: +27 (0) 11 256 3600 Email:info@nepad.org Website:www.nepad.org back to top ^

Major progress in Development of Uhurunet submarine cable

By Gilles Eric Foadey Baharicom Development Company Joins ACE Midrand, 01 December 2009 — Baharicom Development Company (BDC) recently signed an MoU with the Africa Coast to Europe (ACE) Consortium*, to co-build a submarine cable that will stretch from France to South Africa, connecting all countries along the West coast of Africa BDC (the company that is charged with the development of Uhurunet; the submarine segment of the NEPAD Network) has achieved a significant milestone in the development of the Uhurunet submarine cable by joining the ACE consortium. This jointly developed submarine cable will form part of the Uhurunet submarine cable ring that will circumscribe the African continent and make provision for connecting all African coastal countries as well as the islands around the continent. While the ACE submarine cable was originally planned to extend from Europe to Gabon, the collaboration with BDC means that the cable will now be extended all the way to South Africa, and will ensure that every country on the West African coast is connected to the cable. The ACE cable system, which will be more than 14,000 km long, will be ready for service in 2011. It will include state-of-the-art submarine cable technology with a minimum capacity of 1.92Tbit/s, capable of providing the network connectivity required to meet the needs of African countries. Prior to this, BDC had signed a Landing Party Agreement (LPA) with SENTECH, a publicly owned South African company that is licensed to provide telecommunications services in the country. The LPA will permit ACE/Uhurunet to land in South Africa. BDC is currently seeking Landing Party Agreements with local partners in every country where it will establish

a landing station. BDC is also considering the use of existing landing stations where agreements can be reached with owners of those landing stations. Meanwhile, BDC is continuing negotiations with several submarine cable developers to realize the Uhurunet segment along the East coast of Africa. Similar negotiations are ongoing for the North African segment. The objective of the NEPAD ICT infrastructure programme is to ensure that every country in Africa is connected to its neighbours by a broadband network and, in turn, to the rest of the world through existing or planned submarine cable systems. To this end, the NEPAD e-Africa Commission is promoting the development of the NEPAD ICT Broadband Infrastructure Network, which consists of a submarine segment, Uhurunet, and a terrestrial network, Umojanet. The NEPAD ICT Development Trust created by the Inter-Governmental Assembly (IGA), will hold 20% of the shares in BDC, which will, in turn, hold a minority stake in Baharicom, the company that will operate the Uhurunet submarine cable once completed. The majority of the shares in Baharicom will be owned by entities from across the African continent. Entities *The current 25 members of the ACE Consortium are: Baharicom Development Company, Benin Telecoms, Camtel, Côte d’Ivoire Telecom, Companhia Santomense de Telecomunicacoes, Etisalat Nigeria, Expresso Telecom Group, France Telecom, Gamtel, Getesa, Globalink, Maroc Telecom, Mauritano-Tunisienne des Télécommunications, Mauritius Telecom, Office Congolais de Poste et Télécommunication, Orange Bissau, Orange Cameroun, Orange Côte d’Ivoire, Orange Guinée, Orange Mali, Orange Niger, Orange Spain, Sierratel, Sonatel, Togo Telecom. Entities that are interested in this investment opportunity should contact: Dr Edmund Katiti Email: ekatiti@eafricacommission.org back to top ^

South-to-South Cooperation in the context of NEPAD's Capacity Development

By Florence Nazare

• Establishment of the SSC Africa Core Working Group, with defined and agreed roles and responsibilities;
• Elaboration of Africa’s expectations from the SSC process, focusing on technical cooperation (TC) and Aid Effectiveness in relation to Capacity Development;
• Consensus-building on the “How to” of South-South Cooperation and the link to development results and opportunities for regional and cross-regional learning on SSC and AE for inputs into policy processes;
• Coordination of Africa’s inputs into the SSC analytical work and
• Mobilization and coordination of Partner countries and regional CD actors for the Africa regional conference feeding into the March 2010 Bogota High Level Meeting and 2011 Seoul HLF.

• Buy-in from members of the CWG as representatives of African institutions and Partner countries (list annexed to this report);
• Strong ownership and collective willingness to ensure a good African input to the Bogota / Seoul Processes and beyond;
• Consensus on the need to drive the SSC/AE/CD agenda from an African perspective, mainstreamed into ongoing related regional and global activities and processes; and
• Immediate appointment of an Expert/Consultant to support the African input into the TT-SSC work and Bogota process;

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