New Ibrahim report calls for faster progress on African mobility, connectivity

Gaps persist
The report warns that Africa’s ambitions for deeper economic integration and growth will remain constrained unless governments accelerate efforts to improve cross-border mobility and modernise transport and infrastructure networks across the continent.
Staff reporter
  • 1 Hour Ago

The Mo Ibrahim Foundation has published a new report, Africa on the Move: Boosting Mobility and Connectivity, to coincide with the Africa Forward Summit taking place in Nairobi on 11 and 12 May.

The report provides a comprehensive overview of the current situation and the hurdles that must still be overcome regarding both the “soft” mobility of people, goods and services across Africa, and the “hard” physical connectivity infrastructure within a continent spanning more than 30 million km² – over seven times larger than the territory of the European Union.

It also highlights the important commitments already made at African level, although not all have been fully implemented, to address these challenges.

The report underscores the importance of improving mobility and connectivity across the continent in order to accelerate continental integration and the swift implementation of the AfCFTA, while also facilitating and encouraging regular migration within Africa. Both are regarded as essential to strengthening the mobilisation of domestic resources needed to effectively leverage Africa’s demographic and natural-resource potential.

The incentives are significant. Full implementation of the AfCFTA could increase intra-African trade to 53%, up from around 18% of Africa’s current trade, grow the manufacturing sector by US$1 trillion, generate income worth US$470 billion, and create 14 million jobs by 2035.

Regarding migration, the latest available data shows that more than 72% of sub-Saharan African migrants remain within the continent in search of improved economic and social opportunities.

 

Substantial obstacles

However, the report notes that substantial obstacles remain regarding both mobility and connectivity. Addressing these challenges will require stronger and more coordinated commitment from African political and economic stakeholders, as well as international partners, alongside the exchange of expertise and best practices from other economic unions.

In terms of “soft” mobility, the report notes that African citizens' ability to travel freely within the continent remains severely limited. Only four countries – Mali, Niger, Rwanda, and São Tomé and Príncipe – have ratified the African Union’s 2018 Free Movement of Persons Protocol, with concerns around security, public opinion and reciprocity continuing to limit political commitment.

Only 28% of African citizens can travel to fellow African countries without requiring a visa. The ability to study or work in another African country is also constrained by limited educational and professional equivalence across the continent.

The movement of goods and services within Africa, which is critical to facilitating intra-African trade, remains constrained not only by customs duties but also by numerous non-tariff barriers, including sanitary and phytosanitary requirements, as well as labelling and packaging standards.

Limited currency convertibility also continues to hamper trade operations, with the report estimating that the continent loses approximately US$5 billion annually in currency conversion costs.

 

Outdated infrastructure

The report further states that Africa’s connectivity infrastructure remains largely outdated and outward-focused, having historically been developed to support the export of raw commodities outside the continent.

As a result, travel within Africa remains slower, more expensive and less direct than comparable journeys in other parts of the world.

Road transport remains the dominant mode of transport across the continent, although many roads are discontinuous and unsafe. Railway systems continue to suffer from limited interoperability, ageing infrastructure, high maintenance costs and limited affordability for transporting people and goods.

At least 13 African countries, representing around 17% of the continent’s population – many of them landlocked – still do not have direct rail access to seaports.

Although air transport within Africa is expanding, it remains costly and largely outward-oriented, while Africa’s extensive river network remains underutilised.

The report also notes that Africa’s international partners have increased their investment in infrastructure development across the continent.

Most notably, China has expanded investment through its Belt and Road Initiative projects, although these largely remain outward-focused and continue to replicate the historic model of exporting raw commodities.

 

Strategic corridors

Meanwhile, the European Union’s Global Gateway initiative represents a major investment aimed at strengthening Africa’s internal infrastructure through approximately 55 “strategic corridors”, of which 12 have been identified as “priority corridors” crossing much of sub-Saharan Africa.

The report warns, however, that current infrastructure development still relies heavily on carbon-intensive industries such as steel and cement, while future projects will also need to be resilient to climate-related events, factors likely to increase costs further.

In conclusion, the report argues that investing in improved mobility and connectivity across Africa presents clear opportunities, given the growing demand and the positive impact such investment could have on economic integration, employment prospects for young people and regular migration within the continent.

It states that progress will require coordinated action from African governments, whose political commitment remains essential on several key issues, as well as from international partners through both financial support and the exchange of expertise and best practices.

Mo Ibrahim, founder and chair of the foundation, said: “Africa will not harness its potential while mobility is restricted and connectivity remains outdated.

“We talk endlessly about African integration and then make it harder for an African citizen to cross a border within their own continent than to leave it altogether. That must change.

“It is time to press the accelerator on regional integration – to take ownership of and benefit from our continent’s huge assets, whether natural resources or demography.”