In a decisive step toward advancing the implementation of the Second Phase of the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA-PAP2), the PIDA Implementation Support Project (PISP) launched its first capacity-building workshop in Cotonou, Benin. The training was organized by the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), in collaboration with the African Union Commission (AUC) and the German Corporation for International Cooperation (GIZ) and brought together more than 40 experts from Regional Economic Communities (RECs), project sponsors, and infrastructure corridors across Africa.
The workshop marked the first in a three-part training series under PISP, aimed at strengthening early-stage project preparation and enhancing the bankability of priority projects within the 2021–2030 PAP2 pipeline.
The Cotonou session focused on two foundational themes:
The PIDA Implementation Tools, including the PIDA Quality Label (PQL) and the Digital Platform for the PIDA Service Delivery Mechanism (SDM)
Strategic planning and project management for cross-border infrastructure
The PIDA Implementation Support Project (PISP), a US$7 million initiative supported by African Development Bank (AfDB) aims to strengthen the technical and institutional capacity of PIDA stakeholders to drive the effective implementation of regional infrastructure projects. The ongoing training series is one of several targeted interventions under the broader programme, designed to equip key actors with the tools, frameworks, and knowledge required to move projects from concept to bankable investment opportunities.
“This training is not just a learning moment; it’s part of the efforts AUDA-NEPAD is excreting with PIDA stakeholders to enhance the bankability and investment readiness of PIDA Projects. PIDA projects need to be technically sound, climate-aligned, and ready to engage financing partners. That starts with strong preparation,”
Opening remarks by AUDA-NEPAD, AUC, and ECOWAS (the hosting REC) echoed this spirit of urgency and ambition, particularly as PIDA-PAP2 approaches its mid-term review milestone.
“It is high time to accelerate the implementation of PIDA-PAP2. We are already at the halfway mark of this phase and must work in close collaboration to deliver results. The Cotonou training is timely, enabling a collaborative approach anchored in the AUC’s policy leadership and AUDA-NEPAD’s technical delivery. We must ensure that the outcomes take us a step forward in making prioritised projects truly investment-ready so they can be transformed into actual infrastructure that drives Africa’s integration and development.”
George Aoko, PIDA & Flagship Projects Coordinator.
From Tools to Action—Project Readiness in Practice
Participants engaged in a blend of plenary sessions, hands-on exercises, and group discussions tailored to the challenges of early-stage project preparation. The session on the PIDA Quality Label (PQL) introduced an assessment framework that certifies the readiness of infrastructure projects in the PIDA pipeline. A live demonstration using an actual project file illustrated how the tool supports project screening, structuring, and promotion.
“The session on the Quality Label was eye-opening. It showed us how to critically assess our own projects and see them through the eyes of potential financiers,”
Day 2 shifted the focus to strategic infrastructure planning, highlighting why many infrastructure projects across Africa are delayed. The agenda covered enabling environments, stakeholder coordination, and institutional clarity. The sessions examined real-life obstacles and mapped out solutions grounded in corridor-level experiences.
Managing Projects for Performance and Transparency
Day 3 was dedicated to infrastructure project management covering the full project cycle from initiation and planning to execution, monitoring, and closure. The sessions also delved into the role of human resources and digital tools in strengthening project delivery, transparency, and institutional memory.
“We all agreed, it’s rare to receive this level of tailored, practical guidance. It helps us better coordinate regionally and build projects that meet investor expectations,”
A shared sentiment emerged among project owners and REC representatives: the training was both timely and relevant.
What’s Next? Scaling Capacity and Mobilising Finance
As part of its broader technical assistance package, PISP is currently supporting 22 regional projects with expertise from the Expert Service Pool (ESP). The next training sessions will dive deeper into:
Climate and project finance
Private sector participation and PPPs
AI and data analytics in smart infrastructure
These upcoming topics are central to unlocking long-term financing and achieving the goals of Agenda 2063.
For Media Inquiries:
Bezayit Eyoel
Information Analyst
Department of Infrastructure and Energy
African Union Commission
E-mail: BezayitE@africa-union.org
From 30 June to 1 July 2025, the African Union Development Agency-NEPAD (AUDA-NEPAD) joined the African Union Commission (AUC) and key energy stakeholders at the AU Headquarters in Addis Ababa for the AfSEM–CMP High-Level Technical Meeting. The engagement brought renewed attention to the continent’s ongoing efforts to deliver accessible, affordable, and connected electricity across Africa.
Convened by the AUC, with strong technical contribution from AUDA-NEPAD, the meeting created space to reflect on the progress of the African Single Electricity Market (AfSEM), and Continental Power System Master Plan (CMP) the flagship Agenda 2063 initiatives designed to transform Africa’s energy landscape and unlock regional power trade.
A key milestone was the official launch of the AfSEM Technical Oversight Committee, a governance body tasked with steering and coordinating implementation across Member States and Regional Power Pools. The committee will play a central role in ensuring national and regional electricity markets are aligned, integrated, and equipped to deliver results.
AUDA-NEPAD, as the lead technical institution behind the CMP, presented its roadmap for power system planning and highlighted progress on identifying and prioritising cross-border electricity corridors. The CMP is designed to support regional connectivity, guide infrastructure investment, and promote shared access to sustainable energy.
When fully implemented, the CMP will help scale Africa’s power generation capacity to over 1,200 GW and increase intra-African power trade by 29 times, reaching USD 136 billion in value by 2040. These developments are expected to expand access and reduce energy costs across the continent.
The meeting featured opening remarks from Dr. Kamugisha Kazaura, Director for Infrastructure and Energy at the African Union Commission, who described the gathering as a defining moment for Africa’s continental energy market. “This is our opportunity to lay the institutional and operational groundwork for a connected African power market. It is not enough to have plans. We must now deliver on them in a coordinated, inclusive, and accountable way.”
Speaking at the meeting, Mr. Tichakunda Simbini, Principal Programme Officer for Energy at AUDA-NEPAD, reinforced the sense of momentum. “The ambitions of AfSEM and CMP are coming to life. With new regional energy projects being delivered including the commissioning of the Kenya–Tanzania Interconnector in December 2024, ongoing construction of the Zambia – Tanzania interconnector and power pools making steady progress, we are now convinced that this is something we can realise within our lifetime.” At this pace half of the AfSEM linking SAPP to EAPP will go live by 2028. In preparation EAPP, SAPP and AUDA-NEPAD are holding quarterly meetings to prepare for the anticipated integration of the two power pools.
Mr. Simbini highlighted, “No meaningful development can happen without investment in energy infrastructure. The CMP gives us the tools to plan smartly, act collectively, and bring power to more people, faster.”
At the heart of CMP lies a powerful truth, there can be no energy transition without transmission. The CMP places regional and cross-border interconnectors at the centre of Africa’s energy, ensuring that renewable power can flow efficiently across borders, from regions of surplus to those with demand.
While the baseline scenario would require $620 billion in additional investments to meet projected needs, the integrated approach not only reduces total system costs (from $0.084 to $0.078 per kilowatt-hour), but also offers far greater reliability, resilience, and long-term savings.
To meet Africa’s energy needs and integration goals, an estimated USD 1.3 trillion in investment is required by 2040. By 2040, the CMP envisions a fully connected African grid linking all five power pools (SAPP, WAPP, EAPP, CAPP, and COMELEC) and overcoming current gaps and the fragmentation of transmission networks.
Notable progress has been made on the CMP and AfSEM including the €17 million support secured from the European Union through its Continental Energy Programme for Africa (CEPA), supporting core implementation efforts. At the same time, regional masterplans across CAPP, EAPP, SAPP, and WAPP are being updated to align with AfSEM and Agenda 2063’s Second Ten-Year Plan.
Framework contracts are now in place to deliver 20 pre-feasibility studies and structure six priority projects. An Alliance of Philanthropic Organisations is being established with $2 million in support to help build a strong, bankable project pipeline.
Further support includes a Technical Assistance Pool set up with the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, and ongoing feasibility studies on regional energy trading and carbon markets in SAPP. The African Union is also working with the Africa Social Security Association to explore how pension funds can support infrastructure financing through pooled development funds.
Partners including the African Development Bank, European Union, GIZ, GET Invest, Get.Transform and the Africa EU Energy Partnership (AEEP), reaffirmed their support for the CMP and AfSEM agenda. Their continued collaboration remains vital in bridging Africa’s energy access and reliability gaps.
Africa’s Ten-Year Infrastructure Investment Plan
In the days following the Addis Ababa technical meeting, AUDA-NEPAD led the drafting of Africa’s Ten-Year Infrastructure Investment Plan (TYIIP), a strategic response to the G20’s request for a coordinated, long-term view of the continent’s energy priorities. Developed under the South African G20 Presidency, and coordinated by AUDA-NEPAD the plan is part of Africa’s broader effort to position itself in global energy governance defining clear priorities for access, interconnectivity, and climate-aligned infrastructure.
The TYIIP builds on and is expected to reinforce Africa’s existing frameworks including AfSEM, CMP, PIDA, and Mission 300 and aims to strengthen investment coordination, accelerate regional energy integration. It reflects AUDA-NEPAD’s role in translating continental policy into actionable infrastructure strategies and ensures Africa’s voice and vision are reflected in global energy transition dialogues.
“African Union Member States accounted for 40% of the $82 billion mobilised under PIDA between 2012 and 2022. This demonstrates that Africa is not waiting but moving. Climate finance must now rise to meet the ambition, scale, and urgency of our infrastructure priorities.“
Amine Idriss Adoum,
Director of Infrastructure and Energy, Industrialisation, Trade and Regional Integration AUDA-NEPAD
This call to action framed four days of dialogue and collaboration in Addis Ababa, where from 9 to 12 June 2025, project developers, financiers, policymakers, and regional stakeholders gathered in Addis Ababa. The shared purpose was to connect Africa’s most strategic infrastructure projects with climate-smart capital and turn high-level frameworks into funded, implementable solutions.
The workshop, focused on Mobilising Climate Finance for Infrastructure Projects, was designed to be a space for action built around sectoral roundtables on transport and energy. The transport track, held on 9–10 June, saw a detailed presentation of corridors and railway projects that are central to Africa’s ambition for low-carbon connectivity and efficient trade.
Among the projects was the Central Corridor Standard Gauge Railway, an electric freight and passenger rail line linking Tanzania’s port of Dar es Salaam to Burundi and the eastern DRC. With over $20 billion in investments planned across multiple phases, the SGR has become more than a railway, it is the anchor of a new Green Economic Development Corridor. The African Union Commission and AUDA-NEPAD, working with CCTTFA and GIZ, is helping steer efforts to attract climate-aligned capital, including through access to the Green Climate Fund and a pioneering carbon credit initiative that monetises GHG reductions from shifting freight from road to rail. In a region where more than 90% of cargo in landlocked countries moves by road, the implications for emissions, cost savings, and reliability are profound.
Complementing this was the Northern Corridor Standard Gauge Railway, valued at $13.5 billion. Stretching from the Kenyan coast through Uganda and into the DRC, the project is being developed as a low-emission transport backbone aligned with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Both corridors reflect PIDA’s integrated infrastructure vision, linking countries, markets, and communities through cleaner, faster, and more resilient networks.
Also featured was the VICMED Inland Waterway Project, a $22 billion initiative reimagining inland transport from Lake Victoria to the Mediterranean Sea. By revitalising navigability along the Nile and its tributaries, the project proposes a low-carbon corridor that leverages Africa’s inland waterways for trade and connectivity, with climate efficiency built into its design from the outset.
As the energy track opened on 11–12 June, focus shifted from the movement of goods to the flow of power. The Luapula Hydropower Project, jointly developed by Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), showcased Africa’s growing momentum in regional clean energy generation. With over 700 megawatts of capacity planned and a $1.2 billion budget, Luapula is expected to enhance energy access and stability across Southern Africa. It also strengthens the cross-border logic of PIDA-PAP2, infrastructure that transcends national grids and supports continent-wide integration towards African Single Electricity Market (AfSEM) through Continental Power Systems Master Plan (CMP).
North Africa’s Jafara Solar and Wind Groundwater Project brought a different, but equally exciting, perspective. The initiative combines renewable energy with groundwater access, linking climate mitigation with adaptation. Using wind and solar power to extract and manage groundwater for human and agricultural use, the project addresses dual vulnerabilities, water scarcity and fossil fuel dependence. It offers a replicable model of cross-sector climate resilience.
Meanwhile, the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) showcased its initiative to build a Regional Renewable Energy, Carbon, Ancillary Services and Electricity Trading Financial Markets, currently in its feasibility phase. With a $3 million initial financing need, the project aims to establish a cross-border platform for trading renewable energy, carbon emission reduction, financial derivative and financial instruments across 14 SADC countries. By enabling cleaner, more reliable power flows, it strengthens grid stability while advancing mitigation goals in line with the Paris Agreement and Agenda 2063. As a market-based mechanism, the SAPP platform also aims to crowd in private investment and diversify the regional energy mix.
These six projects formed the core of the workshop discussions, each reflecting strategic priorities for regional integration and sustainable infrastructure development. Each fall under the Second Priority Action Plan of PIDA (PIDA-PAP2, 2021–2030), which identified 69 regional infrastructure projects selected through a transparent and consultative process. The plan requires an estimated USD 16.1 billion annually to support their implementation.
Importantly, climate smartness & resilience were among the formal PIDA PAP 2 prioritisation criteria, alongside bankability, cross-border relevance, alignment with national and regional priorities, as well as gender responsiveness. This shift ensures that PIDA’s infrastructure pipelines are not only strategic, but also ready to respond to the climate emergency and integrated corridor development of the continent.
The Addis Ababa workshop did more than refine technical proposals. It also helped set the stage for what comes next, the Luanda Financing Summit for Africa’s Infrastructure Development in October 2025, G20 meetings and COP30 in November this year. These platforms will give Africa the opportunity to present a unified, investment-ready message to climate and infrastructure financiers.
For AUDA-NEPAD, and for all PIDA stakeholders and partners, the path forward is to continue the work of connecting corridors to capital. The call remains consistent, join our efforts to deliver Africa’s infrastructure ambitions by engaging, partnering, and investing.
For More Information:
Bezayit Eyoel bezayite@africanunion.org
Information Analyst- African Union Commission
Leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Africa’s Prosperity and Collaboration
The African Union Commission, in collaboration with the Government of Ethiopia and the Institute for Security Studies, convened a High-Level Policy Dialogue on the Development and Regulation of AI in Africa in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The dialogue brought together participants from over 40 African countries, including Heads of State and Government, Ministers, AU Commissioners, diplomats, civil society, academia, and private sector leaders.
As part of the ‘AI for Africa’, a featured high-level event of the Ethio Tech Expo ETEX 2025, and anchored in the theme “Leveraging Artificial Intelligence for Africa’s Prosperity and Collaboration,” the event explored the potential of AI to transform Africa’s development trajectory and accelerate the implementation of Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The event builds on the AU Continental Artificial Intelligence Strategy adopted by the African Union Executive Council in July 2024. Laying the ground for Africa’s leadership on AI use and development, leaders called for urgent interventions and collaboration. The Dialogue underscored the importance of fostering inclusive, ethical, and sustainable AI ecosystems where African nations can access, shape, and benefit equitably from AI-driven opportunities.
“AI is no longer a distant dream—it is the engine of transformation across sectors, geographies, and societies,” expressed H.E. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. “We made a deliberate choice not to remain passive consumers of imported innovation, but to become active contributors, leveraging AI to address challenges grounded in our own realities.”
In her opening address, H.E. Selma Malika Haddadi, Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission highlighted African Union’s AI ambitions. “Our vision is Harnessing AI for Africa’s Development and Prosperity with focus on making AI available for socio-economic development, fostering homegrown and domestic AI capacity, advancing a multisectoral and multistakeholder AI governance approach and promoting innovative regulations that can enable AI uptake in Africa and protect its people.”
With the continent’s AI compute capacity accounting for just 1% globally, she urged investment in renewable-powered data centers, regional compute hubs, and cross-border digital infrastructure to enable local AI model development. She emphasized that data ownership and cultural identity are key: Africa possesses vast datasets and linguistic diversity which, if leveraged ethically, can drive inclusive, culturally relevant AI systems that preserve Africa’s heritage while meeting modern needs.
On a high-profile panel titled “Collaborative Strategies for AI Adoption in Africa,” that followed the official opening of the event, H.E. Lerato D. Mataboge, African Union Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy, offered a nuanced and pragmatic roadmap for scaling AI adoption across the continent by outlining existing challenges she identified as critical: digital infrastructure, the AI skills gap, absence of high-quality datasets, and the funding gap.
She acknowledged the growing presence of African startups using AI for public service delivery, particularly in agriculture, healthcare, education, and language services, but pointed out that innovation remains highly concentrated in just a few countries. “Over 83% of AI startup funding in Q1 2025 went to Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, and Egypt. AI should help narrow the digital divide, not widen it,” the Commissioner underscored.
“The next generation of AI architects must be African, educated in Africa, and working to solve African problems,” Mataboge warned, highlighting that Africa currently houses only 3% of the global AI talent pool.
The other High-level panelists featured included H.E. Dr. Gedion Timotheos, Minister of Ethiopian Foreign Affairs; AUC; and Dr. Fonteh Akum, Executive Director of the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), who reiterated that Africa, as the youngest continent, must innovate, create, and utilize AI to its advantage and must lead in the AI revolution. Africa’s ability to harness AI hinges on building foundational infrastructure, nurturing local talent, and developing smart, agile regulations that protect citizens while enabling innovation. Conversations around AI should go hand in hand with action, not one after the other.
In addition to the main plenary, the Dialogue featured two focused panel discussions that brought global and regional perspectives to the forefront. The first, titled “AI for Africa: Lessons from Around the World,” included speakers from the UK, UAE, China, and Brazil, and was moderated by Dr. Fonteh Akum. The second, “Imperative for AI Development, Governance Approaches and the Need for Cooperation to Narrow the Gap,” featured experts from Senegal, Meta, and Addis Ababa University, moderated by Ms. Souhila Amazouz of the AUC. The engaging panels provided rich insights into international best practices, governance models, and cross-continental cooperation in AI.
The Communique released at the conclusion of the event declared Artificial Intelligence as a strategic priority for the continent and committed to collaboratively develop the necessary digital infrastructure, high-quality datasets, compute capabilities, skills, and research capacity to underpin ethical and responsible AI development for sustainable development and to reduce associated risks to society.
To continue the momentum, the next edition of the Dialogue will take place during the AU Summit in February 2026 in Addis Ababa.
Addis Ababa- Ethiopia: The Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA), a critical initiative aimed at unlocking sustainable growth and integration across the continent through infrastructure development, has continued to play a crucial role in shaping policies and guiding strategic development.
In a significant move towards furthering the implementation of PIDA projects, stakeholders from across Africa gathered in Addis Ababa for a workshop held from 25-27 March 2025. The workshop concluded with a shared commitment to accelerate the implementation of strategic infrastructure projects, attract investment, and build synergy and collaboration between the diverse sectors involved.
The workshop was an important platform to review the progress and impact of the PIDA Implementation Support Project (PISP), a USD 7 million initiative funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB). The PISP is playing an essential role in advancing the PIDA’s second phase (2021-2030) of PIDA (PIDA PAP II), through technical capacity building.
The PISP has been supporting the implementation of PIDA PAP II projects by strengthening technical capacity at the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) and the African Union Commission (AUC).
Officially opening the workshop, African Union Director of Infrastructure and Energy Dr. Kamugisha Kazaura emphasized the importance of collaboration and expertise in driving forward the PIDA agenda. “This workshop presents an opportunity to harness our collective expertise, foster collaboration, and accelerate the implementation of PIDA PAP II projects as we approach the midterm review of PIDA PAP II”. He further highlighted, “Now is the time to engage fully, leverage the available expertise, and accelerate the preparation and implementation of PIDA PAP II.”
Commitment to Accelerating Implementation in the Lead-Up to PIDA Midterm Review
PIDA PAP II is a portfolio of 69 projects, with 18 in energy, 11 in ICT, 25 in transport, and 15 in water, prioritized and adopted by the African Union Heads of States in February 2021. The midterm review will assess the progress made so far in implementation and put forward recommendations for accelerated execution while addressing identified bottlenecks.
To further enhance the effectiveness of the PIDA Service Delivery Mechanism (SDM), AUDA-NEPAD is scaling up the Expert Service Pool (ESP) by integrating additional sector-specific expertise, particularly in transport and logistics. This will ensure that project selection criteria prioritize high-impact, high-readiness projects, accelerating their transition from preparation to execution.
Since its launch in November 2024, the pool has focused on enhancing early-stage project preparation through a strong pipeline of viable projects. A detailed methodological approach for screening and assessment of these projects was discussed. The ESP is focused on early-stage project preparation, working on projects selected from an initial list of 20 PIDA PAP II initiatives, which were presented to the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) during the workshop.
This exercise is expected to further enhance the implementation of PIDA projects by leveraging available financing opportunities. According to Yones Touitha, who spoke on behalf of Director Amine Idriss Adoum, Director of Industrialization, Infrastructure, and Economic Integration at AUDA-NEPAD, during the workshop’s opening.
To ensure greater accountability and transparency in implementation, AUDA-NEPAD will establish a real-time digital dashboard that will track project progress, financing gaps, and bottlenecks across PIDA PAP II projects. This initiative will provide an open-access reporting mechanism for stakeholders, facilitating evidence-based decision-making and accelerating project execution.
An important aspect of the workshop also included discussions around ensuring the sustainability of the PISP program and expanding its support to include capacity building for Regional Economic Communities (RECs). This request was made during the discussions as well as during other meetings held previously, including the PIDA Steering Committee meeting. ‘Strengthening the capacities of regional bodies will be vital in maintaining momentum and supporting the long-term success of PIDA projects,’ underscore participants.
Recognizing the need for localized expertise, AUDA-NEPAD is working to institutionalize decentralized capacity-building programs for Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and national infrastructure agencies. This approach will empower stakeholders at the implementation level with the necessary skills and technical assistance to drive early-stage project preparation and execution independently.
Mobilizing the Required Financesfor Long-Term Success of PIDA
Given the significant annual financing need of $16.1 billion for PIDA PAP II, AUDA-NEPAD is exploring structured engagement frameworks with private sector investors and Development Finance Institutions (DFIs). This includes the development of blended finance instruments and tailored Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) that will enhance project bankability and attract long-term infrastructure investment.
In his closing remarks, Ibrah Wahabou, Head of the Infrastructure Unit at AUDA-NEPAD, emphasized that the ongoing efforts will be further strengthened in the second half of PIDA PAP II, leading to increased investment mobilization and faster implementation. “At the end of the day, our success should be measured by two factors: first, the progress of the projects, and second, the amount of resources we have mobilized. The commitment demonstrated by all stakeholders today in driving these projects forward will determine the impact we can achieve.”
The meeting also agreed that the continued success of these projects depends on the sustained efforts of all partners, especially in mobilizing investment, enhancing regional capacities, and addressing challenges as they arise. The African Union’s efforts, in collaboration with partners, are helping to enhance Africa’s infrastructure capacity while contributing to the continent’s broader socio-economic development, regional integration, and sustainability goals. //
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From Tools to Action—Project Readiness in Practice
What’s Next? Scaling Capacity and Mobilising Finance
