admin
ADDIS ABABA. — African policymakers and experts are set to discuss the role of the infrastructure sector in injecting post-Covid-19 recovery, growth and resilience into Africa at the 7th Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA) Week slated next week.
The 7th PIDA Week, which will be hosted in Nairobi, Kenya through a hybrid format from February 28 to March 4, will among other things focus on how Africa can lead the way in the delivery of infrastructure in a post-Covid era as well as supporting the economic and social imperatives of the continent in the digital age, the African Union (AU) announced on Saturday.
The pan-African bloc said this year’s edition of the PIDA Week takes place amid the backdrop of continued global economic and social uncertainty caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The prolonged Covid-19 pandemic has had devastating multi-faceted economic and social consequences that have disproportionately affected Africa on human development indicators, economic inter-dependence, growth and resilience patterns,” the AU said.
In a bid to contain the spread and the multi-faceted impacts of the pandemic, African governments have prioritised their spending commitment mainly focusing on vaccinating their population and building resilience, eventually increasing their recurrent expenditure.
According to the AU, the increase in African countries’ Covid-19-related expenditure could impact the annual gap in infrastructure investment in the short to medium term. And the pandemic has also had a negative impact on cross-border trade.
African countries were forced to shut down borders and, in some cases, apply trade restrictions that have affected supply chains inbound and outbound within the regions and as a result recording trade deficit in volumes, exposing Africa’s over-dependence on external supply chains.
“It is expected that once the pandemic is successfully contained, the focus will need to shift from crisis management to assisting to adequately invest in infrastructure for development, as well as preventing and mitigating the impact of future outbreaks,” the AU said.
The PIDA Week, among other things, envisages bringing together international and regional experts from multiple stakeholders to deliberate on the issues around infrastructure delivery in Africa.
The continental week will focus on how Africa can lead the way in the delivery of infrastructure in a post-Covid era, supporting the economic and social imperatives of the continent in the digital age.
The PIDA Week will consider thematic issues including post-Covid-19 infrastructure financing, delivery, and resilience; the critical role of infrastructure in the implementation of the agreement for establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and in the post-Covid-19 recovery; and the transformation in demand for and consumption of transport, energy, ICT and social infrastructure. —Xinhua.
Online Reporter