AU should be committed on transboundary projects

NDAMU SANDU IN MALABO, EQUATORIAL GUINEA

The African Union (AU) has to sign memoranda of understanding with member states to speed up the construction of transboundary infrastructure projects, experts have said, amid lethargy by members.

The African Union Commission (AUC) is spearheading a Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA), a continental initiative to build transboundary infrastructure projects in partnership with the African Development Bank, the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and the AU’s development agency, NEPAD.

Robert Lisinge, the head of UNECA’s Energy, Infrastructure and Service section told a Second Policy Dialogue on the implementation of PIDA which opened in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea on Tuesday, that Africa could find solutions from best practices, such as “what our friend China is doing or the EU partnership with Africa” .

He said Africa could learn from China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in which President Xi Jinping is leading the process. The BRI is an ambitious programme to connect Asia with Africa and Europe via land and maritime networks along six corridors, with the aim of improving regional integration, increasing trade, and stimulating economic growth.

“China’s Belt and Road Initiative have signed MOU with almost all the African countries,” Lisinge said. “The AU likewise can have MOUs with all the African countries. If we sign MOUs with China, why can’t we commit ourselves to our own projects,” he said rhetorically.

Lisinge added that the AU could pitch PIDA in the same level as the BRI, in which African leaders troop to China every two years. African leaders could also come up with a PIDA Week similarly to what the BRI has done, to be attended by all continental leaders. Lisinge’s call comes at a time when there has been concern about the slow pace of transboundary infrastructure projects in Africa. Central African states, Lisinge said, have spent a lot of time to come up with a focal point for a transport plan, but the situation has been different in East Africa where countries formed a standing committee to work on the plan, and in West Africa which has already worked on its Abidjan-Lagos Highway after creating a committee to work on the project.

“We have solutions within the continent which we can learn from,” Lisinge said. Cheikh Bedda, the AUC director for infrastructure and energy, said member states had to work collectively to come up with the second phase of PIDA. “We have together accomplished and made giant strides in the first phase. Nonetheless, much needs to be done,” he said, adding that the second policy dialogue was in line with ongoing reforms at the AU which has re-organised NEPAD into a development agency.

“We are committed to move ahead with the second phase of PIDA,” Bedda said. “It is our hope that by January 2021, we shall table before the heads of states a joint list. Collectively and at country level, we need to work to make this possible. At the AUC, we leave no stone unturned, we have a huge agenda ahead of us.”

According to Lisinge, there has been a disconnect between development financial institutions and AU members states. The former, he said, are saying financing exists, while the latter maintains there has been a lack of financing.

“We need to reconcile the two,” he said, adding that there is no need to reinvent the wheel. To him, political will and the capacity of member states are key in the implementation of PIDA projects. “One may argue that political will exists. What is needed is political mobilisation of capacity by political leaders to bring all stakeholders together,” he said, adding, “it does not make sense to ratify AfCFTA yet fail to implement PIDA projects.”

AfCFTA stands for Africa’s continental free trade area, which has created one of the biggest trading blocs in the world. PIDA projects include the US$4.6bn Batoka hydro power scheme which will generate 2400MW to be shared equally by Zimbabwe and Zambia