Dar es Salaam — THIOPIAN President Taye Selassie has expressed strong optimism over the ongoing economic transformation of the African continent, citing major regional infrastructure corridors as key drivers of growth and integration.
He singled out the North- South Corridor, which connects Dar es Salaam Port to the Copperbelt region of Central Africa, as one of the emerging success stories of continental connectivity.
President Selassie also highlighted the Central Corridor linking the Great Lakes region to the Indian Ocean, as well as the Laps set Corridor connecting Kenya, South Sudan and Ethiopia, as crucial pillars of Africa's connectivity strategy.
"These routes are not just asphalt and railways. They are the veins and arteries of regional cooperation that will boost Africa's industrial upgrade," Mr Selassie said.
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He made the remarks while addressing the World Governments Summit (WGS), which concludes today in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
The Ethiopian leader further urged African nations to expand air connectivity across the continent, revealing that his country is constructing a 12.5 billion US dollar international airport, equivalent to over 32tri/-, with a capacity to handle 110 million passengers and more than three million tonnes of cargo annually.
He emphasised that stronger transport links are essential for stimulating trade, investment and people-to-people interactions within Africa.
Mr Selassie also underlined the importance of intra-African trade as a foundation for the continent to thrive amid shifting global geopolitics.
He expressed confidence that African countries can withstand emerging global challenges through strategic economic cooperation, particularly by leveraging the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
"Inter-Africa trade is ready for a transformative shift through the full implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area. With its implementation, we will be consolidating a market of 1.3 billion people with a collective GDP exceeding 3.4 trillion US dollars," he said.
"This is more than an economic pact. It is one of the flagship initiatives of the African Union's Agenda 2063 that provides a strategic framework for inclusive and sustainable socioeconomic development," he added.
President Selassie noted that AfCFTA is poised to build regional production networks by eliminating 90 per cent of tariff barriers, insisting that Africa's future will be shaped by deeper integration and cross-border connectivity.
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The World Governments Summit has brought together global leaders to deliberate on future-ready governance, economic resilience and innovative policy solutions in an increasingly interconnected world.
Running on the margins of the summit is the Global Africa Investment Summit (GAIS), a high-level initiative spearheaded by Dr Akinwumi Adesina, President Emeritus of the African Development Bank Group, in collaboration with global partners and leading investment actors.
