NIGERIA and other African countries need greater regional and cross-border integration as well as cooperation to bridge the continent’s infrastructure needs put at between $130–$170 billion a year.
African leaders and other stakeholders stated this at the ongoing 2019 Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA) Week holding in Cairo, Egypt.
The financing gap for the required infrastructure needs was put at between $68–$108 billion.
Key players in the infrastructure sector noted that enhanced partnerships between the public and private sectors to develop the continent’s infrastructure to spur industrial growth and employment creation would bring the continent a little closer to achieving the Pan- African dreams of the African forefathers: an interconnected Africa, where divisions of the colonial pasts would fade away.
They agreed that greater economic activity, enhanced efficiency and increased competitiveness on the continent were continually being hampered by inadequate transport, communication, water and power infrastructure.
NOo fewer than 700 delegates from across the continent and beyond are attending this year’s PIDA Week, which is being held under the theme: “Positioning Africa to deliver on Agenda 2063 and economic integration through multi-sectoral approaches to infrastructure development”.
In his opening remarks at the event, Dr. Ibrahim Assane Mayaki, Chief Executive Officer of the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), who spoke on the rationale behind PIDA Week and its objective, said PIDA and its associated instruments have enabled the continent to make remarkable progress in the reconstruction, rehabilitation and development of infrastructure on the continent.
According to Mayaki, progress has been registered over the entire landscape of infrastructure – from hardware developments on road and railway transport, power – including renewable energy, and ICT, to software enhancements in regulatory practices and regimes, policies, systems – such as one-stop border post monitoring systems, and human skills and capacities.
He said: “This is not another conference, not another ordinary week. This is for you, stakeholders in the Infrastructure development space, to own and significantly contribute to change the lives of millions Africans!.As this responsibility has been bestowed upon us, we shouldn’t take this lightly when we engage in the various sessions throughout the week.”
Through the transformation involved by PIDA, Mayaki said Africa’s geography is changing “and the borders are fading more and more, contributing to build stronger ties between countries through trade, and therefore making them see the economic costs of war with their neighboring countries. PIDA humbly contributes, to foster peace and change the landscape of Africa”.
The AU-NEPAD CEO, however, warned that more work has to be done.
Mayaki said as part of the infrastructural gap, the African Development Bank estimates that more than 640 million Africans have no access to energy, giving an electricity access rate for African countries at just over 40 percent — the world’s lowest.
“Per capita consumption of energy in Sub- Saharan Africa (excluding South Africa) is 180 kWh, against 13,000 kWh per capita in the United States and 6,500 kWh in Europe.
“This is not another conference, not another ordinary week. This is for you participants a place to own and significantly contribute to change the lives of millions Africans.
“As this responsibility has been bestowed upon us, we shouldn’t take this lightly when we engage in the various sessions throughout the week.”
He reminded delegates of the importance of accountability and political will in order to transform Africa’s infrastructure.
Quoting Rwanda President Paul Kagame’s report on the African Union reforms, Mayaki said: “We have everything needed to succeed. To fail Africa again would be unforgiveable.” he concluded.
To Ambassador Khaled Emara, Assistant Foreign Minister for African Organizations and Communities and Egyptian President’s Representative to the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), “The lack of infrastructure in Africa is an obstruction to economic growth, hence the need to expedite infrastructure development projects to achieve the 2063 development agenda.”
Emara further noted that the world was eager to do business with Africa, “but finds it difficult to access the continent due to poor infrastructure”.
African Union Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy Dr. Amani Abou-Zeid said PIDA Week was an important platform to evaluate achievements and challenges the continent is facing in infrastructure development and to plan for the future.
The Commissioner said there was need for Africa to attract private investments and utilize pension and sovereign funds to develop the much-needed infrastructure on the continent.
For his part, Dr. Mostafa Madbouly, Prime Minister of the Arab Republic of Egypt, in his keynote address delivered by Dr. Mohamed Shaker El-Markab, the Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy, said: “The implementation of the African development plan, Agenda 2063, is based on providing an advanced infrastructure with sustainable services in light of its commitment to attract investment and promote intra-African trade to achieve the regional and economic integration that our countries and people aspire to.”
Since its inception in 2015, PIDA Week has evolved and grown to become the flagship advocacy and marketing event for PIDA, which was formed to drive Africa’s aspirations for infrastructure development in line with Agenda 2063.
Source: thenationonlineng
