Museveni advises leaders in Africa on infrastructure development and integration

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President Yoweri Museveni has emphasised the need for African countries to prioritise infrastructure projects that promote regional and continental integration, as well as encourage trade and the movement of people. 

On Wednesday, he cited Uganda’s hydro power generation, currently at 2,034 MW, part of which is exported to neighbouring countries.

Museveni also cited the East African Oil Pipeline project and the initiatives to connect the Standard Gauge Railway connection between Uganda and Kenya, as critical cross-border projects which Africa needs for integration, to maximise on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

President Museveni's call for prioritising integration and trade was made at the 3rd Summit on Financing for Infrastructure Development in Africa, currently underway in the Angolan capital, Luanda.

(Courtesy)

Gen. Odongo Jeje Abubakhar (right), the Minister of Foreign Affairs, in attendance for the summit in Angola. (Courtesy)

The Summit, hosted by President Joao Manuel Goncalves Laurenco, President of Angola, and Chairperson of the African Union, brings together Heads of States, regional bodies, and the private sector.

In the address delivered by Gen. Odongo Jeje Abubakhar, the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

President Museveni further challenged African countries to rely more on domestic revenues to finance infrastructure, noting that the vast natural resources which Africa is endowed with, if exploited, can provide the much-needed resources to finance infrastructure.

Citing Uganda’s decision to prioritise infrastructure development using oil revenues, Museveni called on Africa to gain financial sovereignty in order to advance its needs. The President noted that the $180 billion deficit for infrastructure development in Africa (according to the African Development Bank) can be mobilised by African countries if they exploit and add value to their natural resources before exporting.

The Summit was also addressed by President Faure Gnassingbe of the Republic of Togo, Mahmoud Ali Youssef, the African Union Commission chairperson, other dignitaries, including Vice Presidents, Prime Ministers and Ministers from African Countries.

The four-day summit (October 28th to 31st) is running under the theme “Capital, Corridors, Trade: Investing in Infrastructure for the AfCFTA and Shared Prosperity.

The Summit is expected to spotlight strategic investment opportunities aligned with the Program for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA), which is the African Union’s blueprint for regional and continental infrastructural connectivity.

It is also expected that the Summit will catalyse advancement projects that enable cross-border transport corridors, digital transformation, energy access, and climate-resilient cities.

Co-hosted by the African Union Commission and the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), the Summit attracted investors and development partners to exchange views on how to accelerate infrastructure financing across the continent.

Participants at the meeting are to assess the status of infrastructure development in Africa and address the financing gap in realising full infrastructure development on the continent, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals and Africa Agenda 2063.

The Luanda Summit follows on the heels of the 2nd Summit held in Dakar, Senegal, in 2023. The Summit is focusing mainly on transport, energy, ICT and water sectors.

International financial institutions and private investors are expected to use the Luanda Summit to identify funding challenges and explore solutions, including public-private partnerships (PPP).

The outcome of the Luanda Summit will be the Luanda Declaration, which will be adopted by the Heads of State.