Addis Ababa — All is set for the 2017 Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA) Week which takes place from 10 to 14 December in Swakopmund, Namibia, on the theme, "Regional infrastructure development for job creation and economic transformation."

The third edition of PIDA Week is being organized by the African Union Commission (AUC), the NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency (NPCA), the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) in collaboration with the Namibian Government and the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

Adeyinka Adeyemi, Senior Advisor and Head of the Regional Integration and Infrastructure Cluster in the ECA's Capacity Development Division (CDD), says the main objective of the PIDA Week is to provide a marketing platform for selected PIDA projects to accelerate their implementation.

"For my team in particular, we will focus on the proposed model law on transboundary infrastructure development in Africa, which we believe if adopted by the continent will without a doubt facilitate private sector investment and financing in transboundary infrastructure enterprises in Africa," he said.

The proposed Programme for Infrastructure Development (PIDA) Model Law for Transboundary Infrastructure Projects in Africa will harmonise cross-border regulation of transboundary infrastructure projects and promote intra-African trade and open domestic markets to international trade.

2017 PIDA Week

The Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA) is a continental initiative aimed at addressing the infrastructure deficit that is severely hampering Africa's competitiveness in the world market. PIDA promotes regional economic integration by building mutually beneficial infrastructure and strengthening the ability of countries to trade and establish regional value chains for increased competitiveness. The Third PIDA Week was held from 10 to 14 December 2017 in Swakopmund, Namibia under the theme "Regional Infrastructure Development for Job Creation and Economic Transformation". More on the Economic Commission for Africa in this BRIEFING. 

Over a five-day period, participants at PIDA Week will discuss how to double and synergize their efforts to accelerate projects preparation and implementation; mobilize adequate financial and technical resources for projects; increase private sector participation in PIDA implementation; and mobilize Member States to integrate the PIDA projects into their national development plans.

The 2017 PIDA Week will showcase six major PIDA "Corridor" projects as facilitators of job creation and economic transformation at the continental, regional, national and local levels. The corridor projects to be considered include:

Central Corridor (Dar es Salaam to Chalinze Toll Road) - EAC

Kinshasa-Brazzaville Road and Railway Bridge - ECCAS

Ethiopia-Sudan Power Interconnector- EAC

Zambia-Tanzania-Kenya Power Interconnection - SADC

Batoka Hydropower Plant- SADC

Abidjan-Lagos Corridor - ECOWAS

The PIDA Week program will also include a media breakfast on 11 December and a site visit at Walvis Bay Port Extension and Railway Project on 14 December.

It aims to build on the achievements of the 2015 and 2016 meetings in Abidjan and the momentum created in the previous two events to continue to engage stakeholders on the effective delivery of infrastructure on the continent.