Issued by: Office of the Presidency
1 February 2002
1. THEME: LEADERSHIP IN FRAGILE TIMES: A VISION FOR A SHARED FUTURE
Focus will be on six global agenda areas:
2. REALISING THE PROMISE OF THE NEW PARTNERSHIP FOR AFRICA'S DEVELOPMENT
3. PROGRESS WITH THE PREPARATION OF A DETAILED PROGRAMME
3.1 Clear proposals on promoting Intra-African trade are being prepared. They address micro-economic reforms to remove obstacles to the movement of goods, services, investment and people between African countries.
3.2 A limited number of infrastructure projects have been identified. They include:
One of the projects is Power Pooling in SADC. This is an extension of existing pooling arrangements.
Additional investment required is US$ 10 billion for increased power generation, rehabilitation of existing plants, transmission lines, etc. This project covers 10 countries.
West African Power Pool: A priority project that will enable the construction of 900 Km of transmission connecting Benin, Cote d'Ivoire, Lome and Ghana estimated at US$235 million.
West Africa Gas Pipeline: construction of 800 Km gas pipeline from Nigeria to Ghana, being tapped to Togo and Benin estimated at US$400 million.
The most urgent project is to give further impetus to the Nile Basin Initiative. Preparation work is in progress, but there is a need to strengthen political co-operation.
The project covers 10 African countries. Some of the countries are in conflict. The countries are, Burundi, DR Congo, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.
Estimates for the full programme have not been finalized, but projects already identified amount to US$2 Billion.
Other water projects identified include the Congo Hydro Electric Power Project, the Lake Chad Project and the Niger River Project.
There are also exciting opportunities in transport - roads, railways, harbours and air transport.
The East African Development Corridor - Kampala to Mombassa is estimated to cost between US$250 and US$300 million. The West African Development Corridor - Lagos to Accra and Abidjan is also a priority.
There is also a need to improve regional container Shipping Hubs, eg Lagos, Abidjan, Dakar and Coega. All these projects offer great opportunities for the private sector.
The strong political leadership through NEPAD is going to be utilized to speed up regulatory reforms and also negotiations between African countries.
The announcement of a new Infrastructure Fund for Africa with the support of the British government is highly appreciated. The Fund is jointly sponsored by the UK government and the private sector. The size of the Fund is US$300 million.
3.3 Concrete proposals are also being prepared regarding the strengthening of conflict prevention, management and resolution mechanisms, both at the OAU and at sub-regional levels.
In this regard, we are very pleased with the positive signals coming from the G8. Indications are that the G8 countries are very keen to partner African leaders on conflict prevention and peace negotiation in particular.
3.4 Other issues on which concrete proposals are being prepared include, ODA reforms, further debt reduction and increased market access. Agricultural subsidies in developed countries are seen as a major obstacle to African development. They make it difficult for Africa to develop and export products in which it has a competitive advantage.
3.5 We sincerely hope that progress is going to be made with the Global Health Fund. It is reported that only US$1,9 billion has been pledged up to now, whereas what is required is US$10 billion per annum.
The NEPAD leadership will work with the Secretary General of the UN, Mr Kofi Annan in mobilizing further international support for the Fund, and in ensuring that the agreed international development goals are met.
Enquiries: Bheki Khumalo on 091 917 518 4201