To effectively support implementation of the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa Priority Action Plan (PIDA-PAP), AUDA-NEPAD relies on data generated by project owners, African Union member countries and Regional Economic Communities to monitor progress. Although work has been ongoing to improve the flow of information on regional and continental PIDA projects, challenges remain, in terms of data collection, verification and analysis.
In order to enhance the process and quality of data collection, AUDA-NEPAD has made two information systems available to African institutions dealing with infrastructure development – the African Infrastructure Database (AID) and the Virtual PIDA Information Centre (VPic).
AID is an online data management tool for capturing, validating and storing infrastructure projects information in Africa using standard metadata descriptors such as project characteristics, location, economic indicators, financial parameters, implementation status, et cetera. It allows Regional Economic Communities, specialised institutions, project owners and implementing agencies, to manage their infrastructure information using a harmonised user interface and clearly defined workflows. The tool also provides other information systems selected from infrastructure information, belonging to specific regions or institutions, or of certain nature, for presentation to targeted audiences.
VPic is a web-based knowledge portal focused on PIDA regional and continental infrastructure projects. Its purpose is to facilitate the sharing of PIDA-PAP information, promote participation in PIDA implementation, enable the tracking of progress in PIDA-PAP implementation (Monitoring & Evaluation), and to promote investment opportunities in PIDA-PAP projects. VPic presents validated PIDA project information stored in the African Infrastructure Database in an interactive dashboard to track project implementation.
Deployment of the AUDA-NEPAD tools for infrastructure
Since its launch in 2013, the Virtual PIDA Information Centre has been put to use by stakeholders all over the continent and beyond, as it presents up to date information on all of Africa’s 51 cross-border infrastructure projects. These projects comprise more than 400 actionable sub-projects across four main infrastructure sectors, namely energy, transport, transboundary water and ICT.
In order to improve the flow of information on PIDA projects, training and capacity building initiatives have been undertaken on both VPic and AID. The training methods used often take an interactive and hands-on approach where participants go through all the African Infrastructure Databaseand VPic functions. Thereafter, participants are given the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the platform and they continuously update project information relating to PIDA projects within their respective regions, and also provide recommendations on how the platform can be enhanced. To date, close to 200 stakeholders drawn from East African Community (EAC), Common Market for East and Southern Africa (COMESA), Souther Africa Development Community (SADC) and Arab Maghreb Union (UMA) have been sensitised, while more than 70 project owners have been trained to update information through theAfrican Infrastructure Databaseand VPic. In the latter half of 2019, sensitisation and training will be extended to Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) and Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
PIDA Job Creation Toolkit
Another important tool is the PIDA Job Creation Toolkit, developed with support from the German Government through the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). The Toolkit is designed as an on-line platform that enables users to estimate the job creation potential of PIDA and other African infrastructure projects. It allows users to explore ways in which to capitalise on Africa’s demographic dividend and opportunities for wider regional economic development through job creation in infrastructure.
The Toolkit provides a scalable process enabling Project Owners to estimate job creation resulting from African infrastructure projects, especially the larger transboundary PIDA Projects. As part of beta testing, a training workshop was held in the second quarter of 2018 and estimates were developed for an initial set of PIDA projects. The workshop included a partners’ meeting in which recommendations on use cases and business models for the Toolkit were discussed. A soft launch of the PIDA Job Creation Toolkit was held during PIDA Week 2018 in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.
Following the successful completion of development and testing of the PIDA Job Creation Toolkit, the inaugural PIDA Jobs Outlook will be released in the third quarter of 2019. The Outlook will feature jobs estimates from selected projects in the PIDA portfolio. This inaugural edition will profile all Member States of the African Union with information on PIDA projects that are implemented in their countries or of which they are a direct beneficiary.
The Outlook is a tangible demonstration of the Toolkit which allows users to explore ways in which to maximise job creation from infrastructure projects. As an example, analysis of the Batoka Gorge Hydro Project shows that it has the potential to create more than 2500 direct and induced jobs annually up to completion of its construction and up to 24,000 secondary jobs annually over its 50-year lifetime.
Most recently, the Toolkit was presented to SADC stakeholders during the VPic Data Collection and Validation workshop where it generated a lot of interest, including a recommendation to feature the Toolkit during the SADC Industrialisation Week in August. Ultimately, the SADC Secretariat aims to have the Toolkit endorsed and adopted by SADC ministers responsible for infrastructure as an integral part of SADC’s infrastructure project planning processes. AUDA-NEPAD will, going forward, undertake capacity building on the Toolkit for all the Regional Economic Communities.
Users of the above tools include technical experts based at Africa’s regional levels, users from the African Union Member States, as well as project owners, specialised institutions, technical partners, policymakers, development partners, and both public and private providers of project preparation support and finance. The information gathered from VPic and the Job Creation Toolkit is disseminated through publication of the annual PIDA Report.
Through these tools and capacity development initiatives, AUDA-NEPAD is contributing to significantly changing the manner in which Africa reports, analyses and uses its data for policy and decision-making. The Agency is encouraging its stakeholders to place a premium on African ownership, leadership, verification and reporting.
To bridge the financing gap of the NEPAD Infrastructure Project Preparation Facility (NEPAD-IPPF) Special Fund, concerted efforts will be required to scale up support for domestic resource mobilization by AU Member States, so as to facilitate the physical and economic integration of the continent. That is according to the African Union Director for Infrastructure and Energy, Mr. Cheikh Bedda.
The Director made the call at the 29th Oversight Committee (OC) meeting of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development – Infrastructure Project Preparation Facility (NEPAD-IPPF) Special Fund which took place at the Headquarters of the African Union Commission, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on 28 June 2019.
“The Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA), and Africa’s infrastructure priorities cannot be implemented without adequate resources committed to the NEPAD-IPPF, a critical instrument to prepare investment ready and sustainable infrastructure projects across Africa,” the Director stated.
Taking it back to Egypt, April this year, in his statement, Mr. Bedda reminded participants of the decision made by the Specialised Technical Committee on Transport Transcontinental and Interregional Infrastructure Energy and Tourism, which urged Member States to contribute and sustain project preparation and development for PIDA PAP projects by making financial contributions to the NEPAD IPPF.
“African Countries should demonstrate firm commitment to infrastructure development by making direct contribution to the African Union supported Project Preparation Instrument – the NEPAD-IPPF, through various innovative approaches,” the Director reiterated.
The question of domestic resource mobilization came to the surface during the discussions.
On his part, the Director for Infrastructure and Urban Development at the African Development Bank, Mr. Amadou Oumarou, stated that operationalization of domestic resource mobilization for the NEPAD-IPPF should be well discussed and thought of.
“To succeed the NEPAD-IPPF must identify and focus on a key priorities and active portfolio management to move more projects to closure,” Mr. Oumarou added.
NEPAD-IPPF Fund Manager, Mr. Mike Salawou, stated that cumulative contributions by donor partners including the African Development Bank amounted to US$ 102 Million out of which US$ 96.1 million had been committed to approve 91 projects. As per June 2019, 60 studies have been completed.
“While disbursements on supported projects have reached a high level, beyond that and without any new contributions to the Fund, NEPAD-IPPF will no longer be in a position to support further project preparation activities,” Mr. Salawou affirmed.
Mr. Amadou Oumarou closed the meeting by commending the Fund’s achievements in 2019 and reiterated the Bank’s commitment to the Special Fund considering the enormous infrastructure needs in the continent.
“New contributions from Spain (Euro 3.0 million) and the African Development Bank (US$ 4.13) are indications of confidence bestowed in the Fund’s ability to successfully fulfil its mandate, and also recognition that the NEPAD-IPPF is playing a critical role in infrastructure development in Africa. It is therefore expedient for the NEPAD-IPPF to be further strengthened with the necessary resources to enable it to meet its objectives and mandate,” Mr. Oumarou stated.
Michael Andres Oversight Committee Chairman & Senior Project Manager at KfW Development Bank, while commending the achievements of the special fund, noted that more resources are required given the increasing demands being made on the fund.
The meeting offered the opportunity to discuss the NEPAD-IPPF Independent Review and New Business Model, the progress report of NEPAD-IPPF, updates on continental infrastructure initiatives, and adoption of a proposed joint AUC/AUDA/AfDB Domestic Resource Mobilization Strategy for NEPAD-IPPF.
Participants noted that domestic resource mobilization should be the main strategy for financing Africa’s development in a sustainable manner. Participants also endorsed the NEPAD-IPPF Special Fund as the key instrument for project preparation to accelerate the delivery of infrastructure on the continent. They also agreed that the NEPAD-IPPF resources are managed in a sound manner under rigorous internal control, in addition to the governance around the administration of these resources, which is adequate.
The 29th Oversight Committee (OC) meeting of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development Infrastructure Project Preparation Facility (NEPAD-IPPF) Special Fund convened over 30 participants including donors providing financial support to the NEPAD-IPPF Special Fund, such as Canada, Germany, United Kingdom, Norway, Denmark, and Spain, representatives from the African Development Bank, African Union Commission, African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) The Nile Basin Initiative/Nile Equatorial Lakes Subsidiary Action Program), Economic Commission for Africa, Regional Economic Communities, Regional Power Pools, NELSAP and Orange-Senqu River Commission (ORASECOM).
Note to the Editors
NEPAD-IPPF is a multi-donor special fund that supports African countries to translate major continental initiatives such as the African Union’s Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA) as well as Regional Infrastructure Master Plans of the Power Pools into bankable, investment-ready projects. The special fund is currently supported by the AfDB as host institution, Canada, Germany, United Kingdom, Norway, Denmark, and Spain. Participation in the special fund is open to donors, institutional funds and other special infrastructure funds.
The Oversight Committee (OC) of seven members provides general policy direction for NEPAD-IPPF activities. Its main function is to review the operational focus, the proposed areas of intervention and to ensure consistency with the Fund’s policy thrust. The OC also reviews the annual report of activities financed through the Fund to ensure consistency with the NEPAD mandate and regional integration.
Africa needs a staggering US$188 billion to build modern energy infrastructure and meet the continental demand for power, the main driver of economic emancipation, a recent study has revealed.
While Africa seeks alternative energy needs through solar, bio-fuels and other forms, ostensibly to bolster hydro power generation in most African states, there is a need for commitment to develop and modernise the infrastructure and enhance the transformation lives of more than 3 billion inhabitants.
Estimates by the African Union Development Agency-New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA-NEPAD) to eradicate poverty, promote sustainable growth and development, integrate Africa in the world economy and accelerate the empowerment of women, show that Africa’s developmental agenda may veer off course without proper infrastructure to drive the continent’s economic agenda.
Ibrah Mountaka Wahabou, the AUDA-NEPAD project manager for the Service Delivery Mechanism in the Regional Integration, Infrastructure and Trade division, notes that Africa’s quest to development should remain in tandem with the need to modern and development reliable cross-country-infrastructure linking all 55-member states for it to attain economic emancipation.
Speaking during a stakeholder dialogue meeting on the domestic resource mobilisation and job creation optimisation for development of the 2,400 MW Batoka Gorge hydro-electric scheme being developed jointly by Zambia and Zimbabwe, Mountaka Wahabou stressed the call for Africa to seek financial injection in sustainable and durable projects with AUDA-NEPAD ready to act as guarantor.
It is estimated that Africa’s energy projects average 430 and need to be upgraded or developed using local resources and with help from developing partners and that AUDA-NEPAD could act as go between-for governments, private sector and financing institutions and partners to raise the resources.
“Africa has the capacity to raise these resources to develop their energy infrastructure but what is needed is to show commitment to raise the funds and we are ready to act as guarantors,” he said.
Citing the US$4 billion Batoka hydro power plant, earmarked for completion by 2024 in which the two countries are tasked to raise 5 percent each of the local resources needed using local resources, he said AUDA-NEPAD stood ready to remain instrumental in mobilising resources and speed up the project, envisioned to plug off the energy deficit buffeting the two neighbours and ultimately benefit regional member states.
The would-be developers of the project, according to the project plan, are expected to mobilise the remaining resources using various alternatives, including tapping into domestic markets and ensure the project comes to fruition as envisaged.
The chairperson of the Zambezi River Authority (ZRA), Emeldah Chola, challenged Africa to take the challenge and mobilise domestic resources for energy projects than rely on donor funds, prone to delays. The ZRA manages the shared water resources on the Zambezi River on behalf of Zambia and Zimbabwe.
As Africa comes of age, it was imperative to digress from donor dependence and mop up own resources for project development as it harbours exports of jobs and development while slowing down industrial growth and leaving local people unemployed, she said.
Zambia and Zimbabwe have since embraced the continental initiative of mobilising “home grown resources” whole heartedly for the development of the Batoka Gorge hydro electric scheme with 20 percent of the cost being local continent.
“The local content has to be in the form of local materials and infrastructure development like access roads and construction of villages,” Chola told delegates to the two-day energy meeting which she officially opened last week.
Zambia and Zimbabwe urged all players to seize the opportunities presented by the multi-billion dollar project and ensure there was maximum local ownership if the locals took up challenging roles and ensured there was maximum creation of jobs at the gorge, expected to absorb 3,000 at completion.
She commended the relationship between AUDA-NEPAD and Association of Power Utilities of Africa (APUA), which is tasked to coordinate and execute priority regional and continental projects to ensure the realisation of Agenda 2063 for its unwavering role in enhancing, human capital development, skills, youths, employment and women empowerment.
The partnership further endeavoured to accelerate regional integration, infrastructure, energy, water and ICT, transport, trade, industrialisation, science, technology and innovation, natural resources, governance and food security, among other developmental roles.
APUA director general Engineer Abel Didier Tella challenged Africa to remain innovative and mobilise own resources that would bolster economic growth for member states, unlike donor reliance to ensure ownership, a yardstick for defraying debt related costs.
The event attracted among others, representatives from the Southern African Power Pool, Zambezi River Authority (ZRA), Agency for Safety, Energy and Environment (ASEA), and the National Agency for Industrial Safety and Environmental Protection of the Hydrocarbons Sector.
By Jeff Kapembwa
Source: https://southerntimesafrica.com/site/news/africa-needs-us188bn-to-meet-demand-for-power
Infrastructure development presents a significant opportunity for creating and absorbing the demand for labour and through direct implementation. Its spill over effects within the wider economy can serve as a game changing catalyst for cross-sectoral job creation in Africa. Recognising the potential of regional infrastructure development as a key to leverage jobs creation, the African Union Commission and the African Union Development Agency-NEPAD finalised the development of a tool to estimate, integrate and promote job creation through infrastructure development under the framework of the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA). The tool is called the PIDA Job Creation Toolkit.
The AUDA-NEPAD has been providing support to the Zambezi River Authority on the use of its tools for Job Maximisation and Domestic Financial Resource Maximisation for the Batoka Gorge Hydro-Electric Scheme, a priority project under PIDA. The Batoka Gorge Hydro-Electric Scheme was used as a pilot project to estimate the number of direct, indirect, induced and secondary jobs to be created during its cycle, using the PIDA Job Creation Estimation toolkit. Estimates show that the project has the potential to creation 10 443 jobs during construction (i.e. 4262 direct, 20176 indirect and 4105 induced jobs). Opportunities for maximising jobs were identified in the cement, steel, transport and tourism industries and these can potentially result in an additional 11258 jobs.
A second pilot study was also conducted to examine the potential application of the 5% Agenda and the Africa infrastructure Guarantee Mechanism to mobilise domestic financial resource for the project. Both Zambia and Zimbabwe have established Pension and Insurance Funds with assets under management equivalent to US$1.8 billion and US$7.4 billion mostly held in long-term assets. Diaspora remittances through official channels into the two countries amount to US$1.9billion/year and these can be mobilised for development under the right conditions.
The two institutions organised a joint meeting between 28 and 30 May 2019 in Lusaka, Zambia, with stakeholders to deliberate on concrete actions to maximise the job creation potential and domestic financial resource mobilisation for the Batoka Gorge Hydro-Electric Scheme.
“Tools that will allow maximisation of jobs from the Batoka Gorge Hydro-Electric Scheme, both directly and indirectly, will see real impact for the benefit our people,” stated Mr Edward Kabwe, representing the CEO of the Zambezi River Authority, Eng. Munyaradzi Munodafawa.
“Today marks a very important milestone in the history of PIDA, for the first time we are showcasing the confluence of all the PIDA Instruments to maximise job creation and set the stage for the development of a strategy for the domestic resource mobilisation to finance the Batoka Gorge,” said Mr Symerre Grey-Johnson AUDA-NEPAD’s Head of Regional Integration, Infrastructure and Trade. “If what we are going to propose today is successful, we aim to replicate it on other PIDA projects such as the Grand Inga,” he added.
Eng. Abel Tella, Director General of the Association of Power Utilities of Africa, emphasised that domestic resources have the potential to accelerate gains from power pools. His sentiment was echoed by a message from Brig General Emelda Chola, Zambezi River Authority’s Board Chairperson. “Dependency on external support often derails projects. It is only through domestic resource mobilisation for national and regional infrastructure projects that local employment rates be boosted speedily. The Batoka Gorge Hydro-Electric Scheme will directly employ about 3000 people,” her message read.
The meeting agree to setup an Institutional Investors and Diaspora Engagement Committee to drive the process of mobilising domestic resources for the project. The committee will led by AUDA-NEPAD and consist of the Zambezi River Authority, Regional Development Banks, the Governments of Zambia and Zimbabwe with equal representation from the Institutional Investors and Diaspora.The Batoka Gorge sits on a key North-South Power transmission corridor that will link Southern Africa to Central African and East African Markets. Having realised the importance of a continental electricity market, the African Union Development Agency-NEPAD is going ahead with implementing the decision by African’s Ministers of Energy to develop the Continental Transmission Masterplan.
“The African Union Development Agency-NEPAD developed the Traffic Light System under the MoveAfrica banner in order to address some of the challenges faced along the transport and logistics corridors and Border Posts, such as excessive road checkpoints, bureaucratic procedures and inadequate road and logistics infrastructure ” said Snowden Mmadi, AUDA-NEPAD Infrastructure Expert.
Snowden was addressing delegates attending the workshop on the Sensitisation of the Traffic Light System (TLS) in the ECOWAS Region.
The TLS has so far been piloted in four selected border posts: 1. Beit bridge (border between South Africa and Zimbabwe; 2.Chirundu: border between Zambia and Zimbabwe; 3. Kazungula: border between Botswana and South Africa and Kasumbalesa: the border between Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia. Performance of these pilot border posts are ranked and necessary corrective actions documented for replication to other border post. It is in this regard that AUDA-NEPAD has extended the TLS tool to two ECOWAS border posts the Seme-Krake- border between Nigeria and Benin the Noepe – border between Ghana and Togo- both border posts are along the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor.
The meeting brought together various experts from Transport Ministries, Immigration and Customs and Border officials from Benin, Ghana, Nigeria and Togo, ECOWAS Commission. Together with experts from the pilot countries in SADC.
Participants used the opportunity to share experiences on progress made in tracking trade facilitation instruments and instruments meant to enhance border operational efficiencies. The workshop also served as a platform for cross fertilization of processes between the Tripartite free Trade Area and ECOWAS. In the Tripartite Free Trade Area, AUDA-NEPAD is playing in working with the pilot countries to develop a harmonized process flow for Authorised Economic Operators as a corrective action.
“The objective of this meeting is to sensitize the focal persons assigned in ECOWAS and the four kick off countries along the Abidjan Lagos Corridor about the Traffic Light System. By virtue of brining the focal countries from the North South Corridor in SADC and COMESA, to be part of this process is clearly underpinning the softer side of Regional Integration as demonstrated through the work that AUDA-NEPAD is doing through MoveAfrica said Kisa Nkhoma, AUDA-NEPAD Officer responsible for MoveAfrica.
The team will finalise the first segment of the workshop and proceed with a visit to Noepe Border Post between Ghana and Togo and Seme – Krake Border Post between Nigeria and Benin over the next three days.
Editor’s Note:
Since the launch of MoveAfrica, AUDA-NEPAD has been focusing on the developing a tool called Traffic Light System (TLS) to rank and track the ability of the continent to move goods and services. The TLS monitors and evaluates performance of trade facilitation along the transport and trade corridors. It looks at the simplification, standardization and harmonization of border crossing procedures and transport regulations.
