03/07/2023, 10:42 THE LAPSSET CORRIDOR AS A MODEL INFRASTRUCTURE CORRIDOR FOR THE AFRICAN CONTINENT – LAPSSET…

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INFRASTRUCTURE CORRIDOR FOR THE AFRICAN CONTINENT

THE LAPSSET CORRIDOR AS A

MODEL INFRASTRUCTURE
CORRIDOR FOR THE AFRICAN
CONTINENT

 March 21, 2022 Posted by: Victor Nyakachunga 0 Comments

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English

The LAPSSET Corridor Program has been identified as one of the key drivers to regional
integration through infrastructure as it forms part of the envisioned Equatorial Land Bridge that
traverses from LAPSSET Port to Douala in Cameroon. This link across the central Africa would
undoubtedly rival the Suez Canal, carrying oils, minerals and merchandise between the Indian
Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean.

During the 7th PIDA (Program for Infrastructure Development in Africa) where the LAPSSET
Corridor Development Authority (LCDA) in collaboration with AUDA-NEPAD and UNECA, hosted a
parallel event on Africa’s premier infrastructure in Nairobi, issues on attaining regional integration
through trans-boundary infrastructure development took the centre stage.

The event under the theme ‘Putting Africa on a Firm Footing for Recovery, Growth, and Resilience
through Infrastructure’, the conference aimed at assessing and tracking the status of financial
investments in infrastructure development in Africa focusing on the LAPSSET Corridor Project.

Out of the panel discussion, it was eminent that Africa had no alternative apart from developing
their own connection in a competitive world by fostering regional integration. This would be
accelerated by setting a stage for the private sector to be at the centre of investment programs.

To achieve the development of regional infrastructure corridors, governments are urged to

package the projects for the private sector to execute the projects within the set time frames for
project delivery without hindrance.

Projects such as the LAPSSET Corridor Program’s inter-port connectivity, is seen to bring new
dynamics that will unlock the huge potentials of the region by developing an industrialization
niche. The planned industrial growth at the port area will help in producing what Africa consumes
as well as growing business in the port area.

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The LAPSSET Corridor, which also forms part of the Land bridge, and connects
Englishover 160 million

people in the three countries and is part of the larger Land Bridge that is to connect East African
coast to the West of Africa. The LCP’s broader perspective is ideally located to reduce the cost of
shipping by enabling the Panama-X vessels, which currently transport freight between the East
and the West, to travel shorter distances. These vessels that are in addition very expensive to
operate will save at least three-weeks of travel time they presently require to navigate around the
Cape.

Trans-boundary infrastructure programs are viewed as key enablers of positive economic synergy
between among countries, thus require proper funding due to the huge costs that such projects
tend to require. LCDA Chairman Mr. Titus Ibui has noted the need to mobilize funds and improve
on security to ensure projects are completed. He also noted that the LAPSSET port has had a
successful transshipment test and with completion of the roads it will now start handling transit
cargo.

According to Director for Transportation and Infrastructure Department at the Infrastructure

Concession Commission Regulatory, Emmanuel Onwodi, developed economies may not be able
to provide the required funding for this project and urged for the exploration of alternative means
of funding such as PPPs, loans from development finance institutions, tax credits to corporate
institutions including pension funds.

In order to attract a huge number of investors, there is need to for Africa to expedite on approvals
for mega project. This, according to Amb. Francis Muthaura, Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA)
Chairman, is the only alternative the continent has in realizing the corridor’s potentials by first
fixing its infrastructure.

Again, some of the solutions being undertaken in Africa’s regional infrastructure such as building
political consensus and getting high level buy in to move projects forward is by taking regional
perspectives into the ground with developing national policies.

Subsequently, working together is key for the success of Africa’s regional infrastructure programs.
This, according to Robert Lisinge, the Chief of the Energy Department at UNECA. Collaboration
has had limited success recently, shown by the slow pace of implementation of trans-border
infrastructure projects. Soft infrastructure interventions are also necessary to increase border and
transport efficiency along the trade corridors through reduced time and cost spent at the borders.

The PIDA session panelists also addressed the need for countries to come together in the
development of regional infrastructure corridors such as the LAPSSET Corridor amidst challenges
such as: – lack of political goodwill, inadequate funding to finance the project, political instability
in some countries, low demand for infrastructure services in some regions, lack of interest among
some countries, lack proper institutional arrangement and framework, difficult geo-technical
conditions, conflicting priorities among countries and economically unjustified projects.

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There is need for a regulatory framework for the continent on the Pan-African
Englishcorridor operations.

Trans-boundary corridors also require Transit Authorities to ease in cross-border movement and
policy synergies.

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03/07/2023, 10:42 THE LAPSSET CORRIDOR AS A MODEL INFRASTRUCTURE CORRIDOR FOR THE AFRICAN CONTINENT – LAPSSET…

The LAPSSET Corridor Program is part of the Kenya Vision 2030 Strategy whichEnglish
is the national long-term
development policy that aims to transform Kenya into a newly industrializing, middle-income country
providing a high quality of life to all its citizens by 2030 in a clean and secure environment. The Vision
comprises of three key pillars: Economic; Social; and Political. The Economic Pillar aims to achieve an
average economic growth rate of 10 per cent per annum and sustaining the same beyond 2030.

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