Dr Elham Mahmoud Ibrahim
AU Commissioner Infrastructures and Energy
Opening Remarks

Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA)
PIDA ROADSHOW
ACP Secretariat, Brussels, Belgium
27 June 2013

Distinguished Participants,
Ladies and gentlemen,

I bring to you all the warm greetings of H.E. Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, AUC Chairperson, who could not be with you today due to other pressing commitments.

I would like to express my gratitude and appreciation to all of you who have accepted our invitation to attend to this gathering dedicated to presenting to you the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA), that was adopted by our Heads of State and Government during their 18th AU Summit held in January 2012 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

I wish to thank particularly the ACP Secretariat for having accepted to host this event.

This meeting is designed so as to give opportunity for information sharing on the content of this important programme and facilitate its dissemination and advocacy for the needed financial support for PIDA implementation.

The key target of this programme is to set-up connected infrastructure networks of transport, energy and telecommunications as well as transboundary water resources, in order to support and speed-up the establishment of the African Economic Community.

As you are well aware, there is no economic development without development of Infrastructure, transport, energy and telecommunication in particular.

Your Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Allow me to give you a quick picture of today’s situation of infrastructure on the African continent:
• Access to electricity for 30% of the population,
• 65% for access to water and sanitation,
• Telecoms penetration rate of about 40% for voice and 6% for internet; and
• Road access rate of 34%.

You all understand very well that the impact of such deficit of infrastructure in Africa is so that African countries are among the least competitive in the world, in particular the countries in the South of the Sahara.

Developing PIDA programme and projects up to 2040 will enable African countries to:
• Reduce energy cost and increase access by providing access to an additional 800 Million people;
• Slash transport costs and boost intra-African trade;
• Ensure water and food security; and
• Increase global connectivity.

To achieve these ambitious goals, we will need to build several major integrative projects such as:
• Modern Highways: 37 500 km;
• Modern Railways: 30 200 km;
• Hydropower plants of 61 000 MW of potential;
• Interconnecting Power Lines: 16 500 km; and
• New Water storage capacity of more than 20 000 hm3.

It is worth noting that this programme will cost around US$ 360 billion from now through 2040 with an estimated overall capital cost of about US$ 68 billion for delivering a Priority Action Plan by 2020; Energy and Transport Projects representing 95% of the total cost demonstrating the critical need for transformative investments in these two sectors to support African Trade, promote growth and create jobs.

It is clear that the necessary resources for the implementation of this programme cannot come from a single source. It is necessary to combine various mechanisms of funding, such the ODA, bilateral and multilateral cooperation, new initiatives such as Green Funds, cooperation and partnerships with new emerging economy countries, as well as the contribution of Private Sector as a key actor. Specific measures are also to be taken to ensure that better risk mitigating guarantees are to be put in place for the various potential private financing schemes.

What has been achieved or initiated since the adoption of this continental programme?
• Awareness raising
• Coordination of all PIDA Stakeholders activities
• RECs ownership process
• Capacity building for all Stakeholders
• Advocacy for Mobilizing Domestic Resources and private sector contribution as well as Development Partners for PIDA PAP implementation

So, what do we expect from this today’s meeting?
• The importance of the PIDA programme is well understood and owned by all of you, in the particular you African Ambassadors;
• We are requesting you African Ambassadors to become PIDA Ambassadors and advocate for its speedy implementation

Your Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Time for action for Africa has come.

We are all invited to act in harmony and complementarity and take all opportunities to mobilise needed resources inside and outside Africa including private sector in order to ensure an inclusive economic and social development.

Finally, I would like to thank all of you who have taken time to attend this ceremony.

Thank you for your kind attention.