Ministerial meeting to forge strategic cooperation to support infrastructure and energy sectors in Africa.

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September 12, 2023 to September 15, 2023

Enhancing regional infrastructure cooperation, sustainable infrastructure development, and cross-border policy coordination will take center stage at the upcoming ministerial session of the African Union Specialised Technical Committee (STC) on Transport, Transcontinental and Interregional Infrastructure, and Energy, scheduled for the 12-15 September 2023 in Zanzibar, Tanzania. The STC will focus on establishing sustainable pathways towards strengthened infrastructure on the continent and streamlining related regulatory frameworks.

Coordinated multilateral approach is needed to sustainably address the socioeconomic fallouts from the Covid-19 pandemic which continues to reverberate worldwide worsening the longstanding vulnerabilities, coupled with issues of climate change, and geopolitical tensions. Amidst the dynamic global landscape marked by these intersecting challenges, the STC will offer an opportunity for a continental approach to identify collaborative continental solutions and recovery mechanisms.

Dr. Amani Abou-Zeid, African Union Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy, underscored the critical role of infrastructure in driving the continent's long-term development objectives and enabling resilience and response efforts. “The current global landscape presents both challenges and opportunities that require coordinated multilateral action. With public health threats, and climate change exacerbating pre-existing vulnerabilities across borders, this gathering is well-timed to foster synergy in navigating today's complex realities.”

Ministers are expected to endorse major policy decisions on fast-tracking the operationalisation of the African Single Electricity Market (AfSEM) and adoption of a Continental Power System Masterplan (CMP) – key initiatives that will significantly shape the future of the energy landscape on the continent. Policy and strategic guidance will be extended to the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA), now at its ten-year milestone, particularly on ensuring sustainable financing for the 69 projects in its second priority action plan (PIDA PAP2). Other key initiatives to be considered include the ongoing implementation of the Single Africa Air Transport Market (SAATM), as well as energy efficiency and energy transition programmes.

Under the overarching theme of "Accelerating Infrastructure to Deliver on Agenda 2063 Aspirations," discussions will also drive strategic direction toward harnessing potential partnerships with international organisations, development partners, and private investors to mobilise the financial and technical resources required for the successful implementation of key continental initiatives.

“As the challenges we face extend well beyond the scope and resources of individual governments or organizations, collaborative multilateral approaches will be key. Collective leadership and coordinated action are required to pool resources for greater impact”, AU Commissioner Abou Zeid notes.

Co-organised by the African Union Commission (AUC) and the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania in collaboration with the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), the African Development Bank (AfDB), the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and Afreximbank, the four-day AU policy organ meeting will bring together more than 350 delegates from across the continent.

Director of Infrastructure and Energy Dr. Kamugisha Kazaura underscored the significance of effective collaboration and coordination among the host, various departments of the AU Commission and development partners. “I am fully confident that we will organize a highly productive forum for meaningful discussions and advancement. The anticipated outcomes of this meeting will help build on the momentum to develop concrete pathways for the coming years”.

Through its central function of articulating continental visions and coordination of efforts across the transport, energy, and infrastructure domains, the STC on Transport, Tanscontinetal and Inter Regional Infrastructure and Energy shapes the overall landscape of transregional cooperation and partnership integral to realizing the AU's ambitious Agenda for 2063.

The Ministerial body provides high-level oversight of the Union's portfolios relating to transport, transcontinental infrastructure, and energy, the STC assumes primary responsibility for establishing the continental strategic policy direction and guidance necessary to promote integrated infrastructure networks capable of propelling Africa's socioeconomic advancement.

Learn more about the 4th Ordinary Session of the STC on Transport Transcontinental and Interregional Infrastructure and Energy here.

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