ECA and NEPAD launch an investors’ guide for infrastructures in Africa

International experts, ambassadors, high officials and entrepreneurs gathered today in Dakar for the launch of “16 infrastructure projects for African integration”.

This document is an investors’ guidebook produced by the Economic Commission for Africa and the NEPAD Agency at the request of President Macky Sall, Chairman of the NEPAD Heads of States and Government Orientation Committee; it examines the 16 projects selected at the Dakar Summit on Infrastructure (DFS), organized in June 2014 and covers the crucial issue of their financing.

Senegal representative Babakar Ba from the Ministry of African Integration, NEPAD and Good Governance, warmly thanked ECA and NEPAD for having produced this important global advocacy tool in support to infrastructure development in Africa.

“Finding investments will be key: according to projections, Africa will need about 360 billion dollars by 2040 to apply the infrastructure development programme in Africa”, said ECA Deputy Executive Secretary for Knowledge Delivery Giovannie Biha, who stressed ECA’s support to the “16-16-16” initiative (16 infrastructure projects to be carried out in at least 16 countries starting from 2016) to help implement Agendas 2063 and 2030.

“These 16 projects have been selected by the Dakar Financing Summit. They are low hanging fruits covering strategic areas such as transport, energy, ICTs or water. Most of them are transboundary projects and are basic building blocks in the implementation of Agenda 2063”, said Pr Mosad El Missiry, Senior Energy Advisor at NEPAD Agency.

“Africa’s continental free trade area is scheduled to be born in a few weeks: infrastructure development will be a key pre-requisite for its success”, said IDEP director Karima Bounemra Ben Soltane.

The “16 infrastructure projects for African integration” guidebook aims to guide investors’ decisions by answering their questions about the projects regarding aspects such their economic viability, strategic impact, technical specifications, coordination, international support, risks & mitigation, expected benefits or progress reports. The book also presents African governments with recommendations to help them access the funds needed for their application.

Distributed by APO on behalf of United Nations (UN).

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