The transport situation in Africa

Abstract

Transport is an indispensable element of development and socio-economic growth. As engines of economic integration, transport infrastructure and service facilities constitute a precondition for facilitating trade and the movement of goods and persons. Long perceived as a tool for accessing national and regional trade in a radically changing global environment, transport infrastructure remains a pillar of development with a view to accelerating growth and reducing poverty. Given the challenges of globalization, Africa is lagging significantly behind in the development of regional trade, particularly because of the lack of reliable and adequate transport. Indeed, the existing transport facilities for trade are completely outward-looking with the result that transport infrastructure and services have been little developed and the physical network poorly integrated.