A c all by African Union heads of state and government to member states to act with urgency to kickstart trading activities under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which will be implemented on January 1, is positive news for corridor development on the continent.The AU has called on countries across Africa to not just consider the adoption of the legal instruments that will facilitate trade under the agreement, but also implement these instruments.South African President Cyril Ramaphosa told delegates at a virtual meeting that the AfCFTA would boost intra-African trade, promote industrialisation and competitiveness, and contribute to job creation – which would unleash regional value chains that would facilitate Africa’s meaningful integration into the global economy. The AfCFTA will also improve the prospects of Africa as an attractive investment destination. Speaking from the headquarters of the AfCFTA Secretariat in Accra, Ghana, the Secretary General of AfCFTA, Wamkele Mene, stressed that integrating 55 markets would not be easy but that giving up was not an option. Analysts across Africa, however, have emphasised that for the full benefits of the AfCFTA to accrue to African countries and citizens, numerous additional measures, reforms and investments are key, not least in infrastructure, transport corridors and logistics.According to Mene, Heads of State have also agreed to establish trade corridors to facilitate the transport of goods.Lack of adequate modern transport infrastructure, long delays at border posts, and under-investment in corridors has long impeded Africa’s ability to trade with itself. According to McKinsey, with the right transport infrastructure and high integration, manufacturers of consumer goods could earn up to $326 billion per year.The AU understands the need to boost infrastructure for the AfCFTA to be successful. They have launched the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (Pida) which is expected to support the Lagos-Abidjan transport corridor, the Zambia-Tanzania-Kenya power transmission line, the Lagos-Algiers highway, and the Brazzaville-Kinshasa bridge, among others.
