Brazzaville, Congo, 5 September 2019: As the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA) phase one gears towards closure, the second phase is set to include women and an integrated corridor approach in fostering a more meaningful and impactful regional integration, using infrastructure development in Africa.

This was highlighted during the fourth annual PIDA media network workshop organized in Brazzaville, the economic capital city of Congo, from 3 to 5 September 2019 by the Department of Infrastructure and Energy at the African Union Commission. The workshop was aimed at equipping journalists with new skills to report on infrastructure development in Africa in order to sensitize the public.

According to Mr. Yagouba Traoré, Chief of Infrastructure Information Unit at the Department of Infrastructure and Energy, the next phase of PIDA (2021-2030), focus will be on: smart and integrated corridor approaches; renewable source of energy; jobs creation potentials of projects; Youth and Gender sensitivity potentials of projects; and digitalization.

Mr. Traoré highlighted that the AUC is currently conducting an independent review of the implementation the PIDA Priority Action Plan (PAP). The analysis will provide the basis and way forward in the formulation of the second phase of the PIDA programme. As part of the mid-term review and as a way to lay a strategic foundation for African infrastructure development for the next decade, a study that forecasts the current and future infrastructure needs will be developed, as vital input to the PIDA-PAP 2 project selection process. The MTR together with the Market and Demand Study (MDS) will form a conceptual basis and strategic framework for the development of the selection criteria for PIDA-PAP 2.

He went on to explain that within the wider first phase of PIDA, the topic of gender was not yet adequately addressed.

“On gender and infrastructure, studies have shown that infrastructure plays an important role in improving the lives women contributing to better human development outcomes. As such, to promote an inclusive approach for transformational and sustainable infrastructure development, the AUC and AUDA-NEPAD established, through PIDA, the African Network for Women in Infrastructure (ANWIn),” Mr. Traoré stated.

The goal of the ANWIn, according to Mr. Traoré, is to provide a high level strategic engagement platform that will bring all stakeholders together for ensuring a gender responsive PIDA PAP 2.

Meanwhile the journalists were urged to use artificial intelligence to best cover and spread word about PIDA. A seasoned journalist and media trainer from Kenya, Mr. Laban Cliff noted that journalists must harness the opportunity to work in a just-in-time manner and process the information as soon as it is availed. He noted that journalists must adapt by developing new techniques, new methods, and new perspectives, based on the expectations of readers.

As part of the workshop, the AUC also organized a visit to the Kinshasa –Brazzaville road –Rail Bridge located in Maloukour village which is one of the projects under PIDA. The 1.5 km bridge construction project, which will be jointly undertaken by Congo-Brazzaville and the DRC, will cost USD 550 million. The bridge will have three kilometers access road from the Republic of Congo and 6.5 km access road from the DRC side.

The Bridge through an access road will be linked to the Congo Corridor and Maloukou Especial Economic Zone. The Maloukou Especial Economic Zone was built six years ago but is not yet fully operational due to lack of electric power supply. 

The governments of the Republic of Congo and DRC have agreed to jointly build the bridge and financiers like the AfDB have shown interest to finance the project. Work on the project is scheduled to commence in end of 2020.

The Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA) is an African Union (AU) flagship initiative that was adopted in January 2012 to support the overall objective of Agenda 2063 of the development of the socio-economic transformation of the continent over the next decades. PIDA is a programme that was endorsed by all African Heads of State to serves as the continental strategic infrastructure framework, the programme will run till 2040.

The first PIDA Priority Action Plan (PIDA-PAP), which runs from 2012 to 2020 comprises of 51 cross-border programmes which can consist of more than 400 actionable projects covering transport, energy, information and communication technology (ICT) and transboundary water projects. The development and adoption of PIDA PAP II will build on the successes of PIDA PAP I, but also consider the challenges and lessons learnt during the implementation of PIDA PAP I to inform the development and adoption of PIDA PAP II.

The PIDA media network is commissioned by the Department of Infrastructure and Energy supported by AUDA-NEPA, AfDB, UNECA and GIZ. The media network plays a key role in ensuring frequent and positive coverage of PIDA projects and its achievements. And it has been giving the journalists an opportunity to win international awards including last month a member scooped an award on infrastructure and development at the 2019 SADC conference of which the article focused on the Batoka Gorge Hydroelectric Power Station.