The Africa We Want
By Abdelmonem Fawzi
In our continent, basic infrastructure is failing, insufficient, or non-existent.
Development is impossible without infrastructure that serves as the backbone of modern societies, being essential for the provision of basic services.
Infrastructure creates jobs, develops skills, and promotes vocational training on the road to ensuring the presence of a workforce equipped to support technological advancement.
It plays a critical role in poverty reduction by providing access to essential services, such as clean water; sanitation; healthcare, and education.
Basic infrastructure in rural areas can improve living standards, create employment opportunities, and enable access to markets and social services, thereby lifting people out of poverty.
A recent World Bank report showed that the poor state of infrastructure in many parts of Africa reduces national economic growth by two percentage points each year and causes business productivity to decline by up to 40%.
Africa’s infrastructure finance needs between $130 and $170 billion a year, with a mammoth financing hole of between $68 billion and $108 billion.
We also face a shortage of skilled professionals in infrastructure development. The lack of these professionals leads to reliance on foreign expertise which is costly and unsustainable.
As part of the continent’s efforts to address these challenges, the AU Heads of State and Government, approved the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA) during the 18th Ordinary Session of the African Union (AU), held on 29 and 30 January 2012, through the adoption of the Declaration on the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa.
PIDA is a multi-sector programme that covers the four infrastructure sectors. It is implemented jointly by the African Union Commission (AUC) and the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), in collaboration with the African Development Bank (AfDB), the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and the Regional Economic Communities (RECs)).
It is dedicated to facilitating continental integration in line with Agenda 2063 through improved regional infrastructure and is designed to catalyse industrialization in Africa as envisaged by the Accelerated Industrial Development for Africa (AIDA) initiative and to enhance intra-African trade through the African Continental Free Trade Area (ACFTA).
The first phase of PIDA was translated into the PIDA Priority Action Plan 1 (PIDA PAP 1), which comprised a list of more than 400 regional priority projects for implementation from 2012 to 2020.
Under the leadership of the AUC, PIDA stakeholders developed the second implementation phase of PIDA (PIDA PAP 2), with an implementation horizon from 2021 to 2030, which was approved by the AU Heads of State and Government in February 2021.
PIDA has provided 30 million Africans with access to electricity. The broadband ICT penetration rate has exceeded 25%, far exceeding the initial target of 10%.
In addition, thousands of kilometres of existing and new roads and railways have been upgraded and built, creating more than 160,000 direct and indirect jobs.
This is why they designed PIDA Week as an annual event that serves as a cornerstone for advancing infrastructure development across Africa.
It was inaugurated in 2015 as a collaborative platform to bring together key stakeholders involved in PIDA Week which aims to accelerate the implementation of infrastructure projects that are crucial for Africa’s socio-economic development and regional integration.
The event creates a forum for stakeholders to review progress, discuss challenges, and explore innovative solutions to infrastructure delivery on the continent.
It brings together policymakers, industry leaders, financiers, and experts from across the continent and beyond, fostering collaboration and partnerships.
It serves as a platform for mobilizing resources and investments for infrastructure projects, showcasing opportunities for socio-economic development.
Participants have the opportunity to share experiences, lessons learned, and best practices in infrastructure development.
Each year, PIDA Week is centred on a specific theme that aligns with the current priorities and challenges in African infrastructure development.
It plays a vital role in aligning continental and regional infrastructure initiatives with the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the AICFTA.
PIDA Week will take place next Monday at the African Union Commission Headquarters in Addis Ababa.
This week is dedicated to advancing Africa’s infrastructure development agenda, aligning with the continent’s urgent needs for sustainable growth.
This year’s theme is “Fostering Resilient and Inclusive Infrastructure for Africa’s Sustainable Growth: Leveraging Transformative Financing and Regional Integration”.
This theme highlights progress in the critical sectors of energy, transport, trans-boundary waters and information and communication technologies (ICT).
The event also includes a variety of sub-themes aimed at strengthening multilateral cooperation, advocating for increased financing for infrastructure projects, advancing digital infrastructure, promoting sustainable and inclusive infrastructure, supporting green economy pathways and facilitating knowledge sharing among stakeholders, while increasing the visibility of PIDA achievements.
The commitments made during PIDA Week are expected to accelerate project implementation and support financing opportunities for the 69 regional infrastructure projects identified in the second phase of the programme, which require $16.1 billion per year.
It also aims to engage in critical dialogue on the challenges encountered over the years in the implementation of PIDA.
It remains to be said that all modern economies have benefited from financing by the public sector or other means of long-term low interest loans for infrastructure. No other financial gimmick can work. This is what African nations must do.
The scale and the scope of Africa’s infrastructure challenges are so large that they cannot be handled by any one partner.
Infrastructure development is the linchpin of Africa’s technological revolution. By prioritizing investment in power supply, internet connectivity, transportation networks, and data centres, Africa can unlock its digital potential and leapfrog traditional development stages.
This makes it important for us to seize this moment to bridge the infrastructure gap and unleash a new era of technological transformation.
