Transport connections are a vector of economic development. To help them maximise their potential, African countries need to upgrade land, air and sea transport infrastructure. As a significant step forward in this context, African transport ministers gathered at the Second Session of the African Union Conference of Ministers of Transport (CAMTII) in Luanda, Angola (21 – 25 November 2011) to adopt the transport component of the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA).

PIDA is a programme for the interconnection and upgrading of infrastructure networks in the fields of transport, energy and ICT. It is expected to contribute to the creation of the African Economic Community announced for 2028 by the Abuja treaty of 1991.

“In most of our countries, transport has become a constraint rather than a facilitator of economic development”, said Dr Elham M.A. Ibrahim, Commissioner of Infrastructure and Energy at the African Union Commission, during the
opening session of the CAMTII. “The biggest challenge for the continent to be competitive and combat poverty more effectively is to reduce transport costs to the world average”.

Transport costs in Africa remain among the highest in the world. According to recent studies, the transport cost as a share of the value of exports in Africa ranges between 30 % and 50 % and can even reach three-quarters of the value of exports in landlocked countries. In other developing countries, the average is around 17 %.

PIDA covers the following aspects of transport policy:

• Air transport: the African Civil Aviation Policy, aviation safety and security and environmental protection
• Maritime transport: the African Maritime Transport Charter, port management and development
• Land transport: development of transport corridors, facilitation of transit transport and improvement of road safety

Open skies for Africa

Liberalisation in the field of aviation was high on the meeting’s agenda. While there has been some progress in recent years, the market share of African airlines for international flights between Africa and other regions of the world still barely exceeds 2 %. “Air transport in Africa holds tremendous potential for growth, with enormous benefits in terms of economic and social development”, stressed Roberto Kobeh Gonzalez, President of the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
To make full use of the opportunities at hand, ministers agreed to speed up the implementation of the Yamoussoukro Decision from 1999 on liberalisation of air transport markets.

Mr Gonzalez pointed out that the move towards liberalisation needs to go hand-in-hand with stepping up safety. “Of the 121 accidents worldwide last year, 17 were in Africa, 3 of them being fatal”, he recalled. An action plan for strengthening aviation security in Africa was adopted. While an AU-EU joint statement on cooperation in aviation is currently under negotiation, there remains some disagreement on how to address safety issues jointly.

The African Common Civil Aviation Policy is another key element in this context. It aims to forge a common approach to civil aviation, with a view to creating an environment conducive to attracting private sector capital investment. The draft policy was tabled for adoption at the CAMTII.

A strategic framework for maritime transport

Ministers called for speeding up the ratification and implementation of the African Maritime Transport Charter, which is the main policy and strategic framework for the development of maritime transport on the continent.

It is also a key item in the Maritime Transport Plan of Action which is composed of the following seven clusters:

• Institutional and legal measures
• Capacity building
• Strengthening maritime transport security and safety
• Enhancement of port performance
• Strengthening of inter-African and international cooperation
• Facilitation and financing of maritime transport and port activities
• Promotion of maritime transport equipment (shipbuilding, repairs and equipment)

Ministers also discussed how best to ensure the protection of the marine environment.

Rebalancing land and rail transport

The low density and quality of land transport networks in Africa holds back much of the continent’s economic drive. While road transport is more expensive than rail transport on long-distance haulage of bulky traffic, insufficient railway networks prevent this mode of transport from being more widely used.

To provide an overall solution, the development of rail transport corridors will dovetail with the development of a Trans-African Highways Network. Ministers took stock of the relevant action plans in this field and also discussed options to improve road safety.

A basis for dialogue

Transport is one of the focus areas of the Africa-EU Strategic Partnership on trade, regional integration and infrastructure. Initiatives favouring greater integration and harmonisation at continental level, such as those discussed at the CAMTII, contribute to the partnership’s objective of strengthening the policy and regulatory dialogue in this domain and enhancing concrete cooperation. Ultimately, they should also help to attract and facilitate African and European private direct investment and the development of public-private partnership schemes.