Infrastructure is Africa’s top priority. With low levels of intra-regional economic exchange and the smallest share of global trade, Africa is the least integrated continent in the world. Infrastructure inefficiencies are costing Africa billions of dollars annually and are stunting growth. Bridging this gap can only be achieved through regional and continental cooperation and solution finding. The Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA), developed by the African Union Commission (AUC), NEPAD Agency, African Development Bank (AfDB), United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and Regional Economic Communities (RECs), promotes regional economic integration by building mutually beneficial infrastructure and strengthening the ability of countries to trade and establish regional value chains for increased competitiveness.
The 51 PIDA Priority Action Plan (PAP) programmes and projects are spread across the four sectors of Energy, Transport, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Trans-boundary Water. The programmes and projects are expected to lead to an integrated continent, fuelling international trade, job creation and sustainable economic growth. In order to boost intra-African trade and raise the continent’s competitiveness in the global economy, the programme sets out short-term goals to be achieved by 2020, medium-term goals to be achieved by 2030 and long-term goals by 2040.
Kenya has also benefitted through PIDA to finance the Eldoret – Ndapal – Juba Road.