AS part of efforts aimed at improving Africa’s poor infrastructure network, the African Union (AU) has launched a multibillion project that will ensure infrastructure development among partner states. The launch of the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA), took place yesterday in Kampala was attended by among others African leaders, the South African President Jacob Zuma. According to Micah Olaseni Ajijo, the PIDA study coordinator, the project currently stands at 7.5million Euros, and will entirely cater for the energy, transport, and ICT and trans-boundary water sectors. “Up to now our people in rural areas of Africa can’t access power. We need better transport facilitation so that it becomes easy for one to travel from Kenya to Lagos by road,” Ajijo said yesterday. Ajijo explained that under the PIDA project, USD100 billion will be spent annually in a period of ten years on building new infrastructure in African countries. “We have started today and implementation will begin by looking at which master plans Regional Economic blocs like EAC have in place and we begin with that,” he added. In his remarks, President Zuma commended the new programme, and called for more concerted efforts by all African countries to devise home-grown initiatives that will spur development in the continent. “The New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) was just one way that showed that we in Africa can move forward in a very strong way,” he said. He added that without a vibrant infrastructure network, Africa’s dreams of achieving strong integration will never be realized. PIDA is sponsored by among other development partners; the African Union Commission, NEPAD secretariat and the African Development Bank (AfDB). Ends
