The African Development Bank Transport Forum, which is taking place in Abidjan from 18 to 20 September, set the tone from the outset by highlighting various challenges to be tackled in the sector, proposing solutions and outlining future prospects.
The theme of the Forum - "Africa on the Move--Accelerating Sustainable Transport and Logistics Connectivity" is a call to unleash transport's enormous potential to integrate the continent and helping African countries to prosper, according to the speakers.
Solomon Quaynor, Vice President of the African Development Bank Group for the Private Sector, Infrastructure and Industrialisation, highlighted the Bank's work on regional connectivity and climate-resilient infrastructure. He detailed the progress made as a result of the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA), "whose cross-border infrastructure projects and programmes affect the key sectors of energy, transport, cross-border waterways, and information and communications technologies". This work also benefits from the Bank's support for Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and implementing the conclusions of the Paris Agreement.
Transport: a driver for inclusive growth and job creation
Mr Quaynor cited the Africa Investment Forum (AIF), which was launched in 2018 by the Bank and seven other multilateral development institutions, "as an investment marketplace to accelerate the reduction of the continent investment deficit through mobilization of private investment". It has since become an important market for infrastructure investments in Africa.
The panel discussion on "the state of connectivity in Africa" highlighted the role played by transport in inclusive growth and job creation.
According to Frédéric Wiltmann, team leader at the Multilateral Cooperation Center for Development Finance (MCDF), "connectivity through infrastructure must drive growth and contribute to poverty reduction; but that means infrastructure must be affordable, resilient and sustainable," he concluded.
Abdoulaye Alliagui, Deputy Chief of Staff at the Côte d'Ivoire Ministry of Transport, advocated pooling ideas to speed up sustainable connectivity and logistics. "Transport accounts for 7 to 10 percent of GDP in Côte d'Ivoire. We therefore need to enable people to access sustainable and competitive transport services," he stated.
Shortages of funding, human capital and digital technologies
There was consensus among the panellists that the sector suffers from deficits of funding, human capital and digital technologies.
Robert Lisinge, Acting Director of the Private Sector Development and Finance Division of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), emphasized the synergy between trade and transport. He expressed hope that the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) would benefit both, pointing to the significant opportunities for investing in manufacturing industries related to transport and electric batteries. "Connectivity requires real partnership," he commented.
Concerning rail transport, Lubinda Sakanga, Technical and Operations Director of the Southern African Railways Association (SARA) called for a move away from a "colonial vision of rail transport based on extracting and transporting raw materials to African ports. First and foremost, railways should connect African countries and regions," he argued. "But above all, we need to create a railway ecosystem, because we have companies but not a rail sector: we need a rail sector master plan."
According to Abdérahmane Berthé, Secretary General of the African Airlines Association, which set up the Connectivity Index in 2019, "connectivity facilitates movements of goods and people." Although Africa is larger than Europe, its connectivity index is significantly lower. "Air connectivity is vital for trade and development, business and tourism," he noted.
During a panel discussion on "The State of Connectivity in Africa", Jean Jacques Bouya, Congolese Minister of Development, Regional Amenities and Public Works, described Development Corridor 13, which will link Pointe Noire (Congo), Bangui (Central African Republic) and N'Djamena (Chad), as well as the road-rail bridge between the two Congos.
According to Burundi's Minister of Infrastructure, Dieudonné Dukundane, "railways are the only way to change the current situation, especially against the background of the AfCFTA. However, other speakers recommend opting for a multi-modal approach to transport to take advantage of the opportunities offered by each system: road, rail, navigable waterways, etc."
Countries need to develop robust partnerships
The speakers stressed the need for African countries to develop robust partnerships. The AfCFTA offers a framework to take full advantage of connectivity through infrastructure.
The aviation sector is hindered by various constraints (taxation, accessibility problems, a low level of cooperation between airlines and the level of infrastructure), while African countries need greater interconnectivity and more funding for climate-resilient infrastructure.
Corridors should be created to open up genuine economic opportunities to drive countries' growth and offer better prospects for African people. Nonetheless, the discussion focused on the issue of human capital, which drives innovation.
Connectivity also involves growing trade between countries, with single border checkpoints and harmonised community regulations. Optimal use of digital tools and artificial intelligence in transport systems must also be a consideration, according to several speakers.
The speakers also agreed that African governments should harmonise infrastructure development policies, invest in training, support the single market for air transport, strengthen climate-resilient connectivity infrastructure and take full advantage of the huge potential of the AfCFTA.
