Addis Ababa — The Infrastructure and Industrialization Section of the Regional Integration and Trade Division of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) will on Tuesday October 31, 2017, conduct an Expert Group Meeting (EGM) to review and validate their Report on "Promoting Infrastructure Development for Africa's Industrialization.
The EGM, which will be held on the margins of the 10th Session of the Committee on Regional Cooperation and Integration, seeks to critically review and validate findings and policy recommendations of the report, validate and enhance countries' experiences related to thematic areas covered in the report and enrich the study following substantive discussions on the nexus between industrialization and infrastructure development in Africa.
Soteri Gatera, Chief of Infrastructure and Industrialisation in the Regional Integration and Trade Division, says: "This study demonstrates ECA's continued support for Africa's structural transformation through inclusive economic growth and sustainable industrialization with infrastructure as critical enabler."
He adds the report draws on country case studies and extensive literature search to demonstrate the link between the level, type and patterns of Africa's industrialization and existing economic infrastructure, especially transport assets, road, rail, water and air; energy, in particularly electricity; and information and communication technologies or ICTs.
"The consensus is that good and quality economic infrastructure in Africa is critical for the continent's industrialization process," said Mr. Soteri. "And this is exemplified by current industrializing efforts in many African countries in which infrastructure development plays an enabling role."
The study examines a selection of issues that need to be taken into consideration as the continent fosters its economic development path. These issues include, but not limited to the (i) Integrated Framework of Infrastructure planning and financing for industrial Development; (ii) Impacts of key infrastructure assets on the African industrial trajectory, in particular the infrastructure contribution to local value-added activities; and, (iii) Quality infrastructure for low Carbon Industrial Development in Africa.
The report also provides evidence-based policy recommendations and experiences on how infrastructure could serve as a catalyst for industrialization across Africa.
Experts from Members States, Regional Economic Communities, academia and international institutions will participate in the EGM. The expected outcome of the EGM is a final version of the report, enriched with comments and recommendations from the experts.
