Overview
Inter-country trade and regional co-operation are a key part of building a stronger and more sustainable African economy. By encouraging regional co-operation NEPAD aims to assist countries in being better able to trade, share resources and build mutually beneficial infrastructure. NEPAD plays a co-ordinating, advocacy and facilitation role in this respect.
Aims and goals
NEPAD's aim is to promote regional economic integration by bridging Africa's Infrastructure gap. There can be no meaningful development without trade and there can be no trade without adequate and reliable infrastructure.
The programme focuses on a number of key issues, including:
- Mobilising political will to implement policy and reforms, including harmonising regulatory systems;
- Creating an enabling environment for regional co-operation;
- Fostering partnerships between the private sector, infrastructure agencies and regional economic communities;
- Developing frameworks to co-ordinate and monitor infrastructure developments; and
- Creating regional opportunities for sharing knowledge and networking.
What is being done in this area?
The programme has initiated several initiatives to promote regional and continental integration. Among these are:
- The AU/NEPAD African Action Plan (AAP) 2010-2015 which includes 80 flagship programmes and projects for regional and continental integration in Africa, particularly infrastructure.
- NEPAD's Short Term Action Plan (STAP) was established in 2002 to address specific infrastructure development problems including facilitation, capacity building, physical and capital projects, and studies required to prepare future projects. STAP feeds into the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA).
- The NEPAD Infrastructure Project Preparation Facility (IPPF) is an fund set up to assist in developing high-quality infrastructure proposals. Managed by the Managed by the African Development Bank (AfDB) the 2007/08 IPPF pipeline had some thirty projects valued at US$50 million, of which the energy and transport sectors account for 80%.
- PIDA is aimed at developing regional and continental infrastructure policies, establishing prioritised development programmes and the proposal of implementation strategies.
- In July 2010 African leaders at the AU Summit established a High Level Sub-Committee on Infrastructure which is tasked with prioritising and consolidating infrastructure projects for high impact and results.
- The Infrastructure Strategic Action Plan (ISAP).
- The NEPAD Spatial Development Programme (SPD).
- Activities related to information and communication technologies (ICTs) are handled within NEPAD's e-Africa Programme [1].
