The Minister delivers Egypt’s speech at the Luanda Summit to finance infrastructure development in Africa
On behalf of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, President of the Republic, the team participated Engineer Kamel Al-Wazir – Deputy Prime Minister for Industrial Development and Minister of Industry and Transport at the Luanda Summit for Financing and Developing Infrastructure in Africa, held in the Angolan capital of Luanda. On behalf of the President of the Republic, the Minister delivered Egypt’s speech in the main session of the summit, which was: Leaders Dialogue Session " Which was held under the title “For an Integrated, Connected and Prosperous Africa” Mobilizing the joint political will to finance infrastructure and enhance intra-African trade.
Where the Minister said at the beginning of his speech President João Lourenço, Head of State of Angola and Chairperson of the African Union, Mahmoud Ali Yusuf, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Ms. Nardos Bekele Thomas, Executive Director of the African Union Development Agency, I am pleased I would like to convey to you the greetings of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi – The President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, who appointed me to attend in his place due to his commitments that prevented him from attending in person, and who appreciates the holding of our summit today, which deals with projects with continental development priorities and we hope that it will lead to tangible outcomes built on the achievements that have been achieved, also sends you his sincere wishes for the success of the summit’s work in achieving the well-being that our peoples aspire to. And progress.
As directed Deputy Prime Minister for Industrial Development and Minister of Industry and Transport extends his sincere thanks and gratitude to President João Lourenço, Head of State of Angola, for his warm reception and hospitality, and for His Excellency’s wise leadership of joint African action, expressing his thanks and appreciation To the NEPAD Agency Secretariat, headed by the Executive Director, Mrs. Nardos Bekele Thomas, for her tireless efforts in leading the work of the Agency’s Secretariat and for the innovative ideas and serious initiatives she always presents.
The Deputy Prime Minister for Industrial Development, Minister of Industry and Transport, added Connectivity projects in Africa, whether in the fields of transport, energy or communications, are a fundamental pillar for achieving continental integration and promoting sustainable economic growth. The African continent, with its vast natural resources and promising markets, needs an integrated infrastructure that enables facilitating the movement of goods, services and people between its countries, supports regional supply chains and increases the competitiveness of African economies, as Strengthening connectivity between African countries contributes to reducing trade costs, enhances social and cultural interdependence, and supports achieving the goals of the African Union’s Agenda 2063 towards an integrated and prosperous Africa. Africans, development partners and financial institutions to discuss ways to direct resources and investments towards major regional connectivity projects, and in this regard we affirm that infrastructure financing is the ideal and fastest solution to achieving continental integration, and transforming development challenges into real opportunities for shared growth, Pointing out that the future of our continent depends on our ability to build strong connectivity networks that embody the slogan “ A united, connected and prosperous Africa” and transforms development challenges into real opportunities for shared and sustainable growth. Lobito is considered one of the most promising strategic projects linking the west and center of the continent, in addition to being one of the most important regional development projects that provides huge opportunities for investment in infrastructure, rail transportation, and logistics areas.
Adding The navigational corridor project between Lake Victoria and the Mediterranean Sea (VIC-MED) It stands out as one of the most ambitious initiatives, to transform the Nile River into an artery of development and communication between East, Central and North Africa, and contribute to reducing transportation costs and enhancing intra-trade, as well as the Cairo Road – Cape Town, which connects the north of the continent to its south through a network of transnational roads, is one of the main important axes adopted by COMESA to develop regional trade exchange, support investment movement, and enhance economic integration between the African countries located along its path. It is considered the longest land axis in Africa, with a length of 10,229 km. In the same context, the Inga Dam in the south of the continent embodies a giant energy project. Clean electricity can supply large areas of Africa with electricity Pointing out that these projects are not just infrastructure, but rather they are bridges to African unity, turning ambition into reality, and paving the way towards a connected and integrated continent.
The team, engineer Kamel Al-Wazir, confirmed  In this context, and during Egypt’s presidency of the Steering Committee of Heads of State and Government of the African Union Development Agency " NEPAD " Egypt, in cooperation with the countries of the Steering Committee and the Agency’s Secretariat, was keen to deal seriously with the challenge represented by the financing gap facing the implementation of development projects on the continent, as we paid special attention to completing feasibility studies for the Agency’s Development Fund, with a focus on the importance of developing innovative frameworks and mechanisms to mobilize African development financing, especially in light of the noticeable decline in the volume of financing directed to aid. Humanitarian reasons for multiple reasons.
Explaining that, in connection with this, the Agency has intensified its efforts to advance the implementation of the second ten-year plan for the African Union’s Agenda 2063, and accelerate the intensification of resources allocated to infrastructure projects included within the Presidential Program for Infrastructure in Africa, which have a total value of about 500 million US dollars, as well as The agency worked to accelerate the implementation of green infrastructure corridors, the continental energy master plan, and the African Common Agricultural Policy, in a way that contributes to supporting regional integration and promoting sustainable development throughout the African continent.
He added that at the national level, Egypt pays great attention to creating an attractive environment for investment in all sectors. Its components, whether at the level of monetary and financial policies, or developing the investment performance environment with regard to simplifying and flexible investment procedures, or developing the legislative environment regulating it by granting investment incentives. Infrastructure is one of the most important basic pillars necessary to attract investment, so developing infrastructure and bringing it to global standards has occupied our urgent priority over the last ten years. Because of this direct impact on achieving the comprehensive economic development targeted by Egypt, these large investments in the field of infrastructure, smart cities, and the giant road and transportation network have contributed to raising Egypt’s ranking in the field of connectivity to seventh place in the world.
Noting that the extension of The Egyptian experience in development includes all aspects of infrastructure, including roads and bridges, through the construction of 7,000 km of new roads, the development of 10,000 km of existing roads, and the establishment of 35 new axes on the Nile, as well as railway lines, which are witnessing comprehensive development, whether through modernizing existing lines or expanding the establishment of green, sustainable, environmentally friendly mass transport projects represented by the establishment of a 2,000 km high-speed electric train network, and the train. The light electric LRT, which connects the New Administrative Capital with cities east of Cairo, with a length exceeding 100 km, and the monorail line project east and west of the Nile, in addition to a network of subway lines with a length of up to 250 km
In the same context, Egypt is working to develop and raise the efficiency of all seaports by establishing new berths with a total length of 70 km, with depths ranging between (18 – 25) m, so that the total length of berths in Egyptian seaports exceeds more than 100 km, in addition to establishing 3 new ports, bringing the number of Egyptian ports to 18 ports, and establishing 35 km. From breakwaters and deepening shipping lanes to be able to receive giant transport ships, and developing the Egyptian naval fleet to reach 38 ships in 2030 and be able to transport 25 million tons of various goods annually. This development also extends to include developing the logistical capabilities of those ports in partnership with many international companies working in the field of maritime transport and logistics. Egyptian development plans also include the establishment of 33 dry ports. A logistics area and the development of 8 land ports on the Egyptian border, which will contribute to enhancing trade exchange between Egypt and neighboring countries, as well as reducing customs clearance times in those ports.
Stressing that all of the above is in favor of achieving Egypt’s development goals through creating a strong network of infrastructure linking Egyptian production centers to internal and external markets, including It creates a favorable and attractive business environment for foreign partnerships to invest in Egypt and export to foreign markets.
Noting that, on the other hand, Egypt’s plans and projects for infrastructure development extend to include attention to the social dimension, through canal lining projects and the establishment of wastewater treatment plants, as the Bahr El-Baqar drain water treatment plant entered service. As the largest treatment plant in Africa and one of the largest in the world, with a daily capacity of approximately 5.6 million m3 for reuse in agriculture and land reclamation east of the Suez Canal. In addition to the program “A Decent Life” To develop infrastructure and services in villages; The first phase exceeded completion rates of more than 88%, with spending exceeding 300 billion pounds until the end of 2024, and the launch of the second phase, which targets 1,667 villages in 20 governorates.
In addition, the electricity sector in Egypt has also witnessed a qualitative shift, and huge projects have been implemented in the fields of generating electricity from renewable energy, especially solar and wind energy, as well as modernizing transmission and distribution networks to increase Its efficiency and ability to absorb variable renewable energies, as well as implementing programs to raise the efficiency of energy use, so that these projects collectively contribute to enhancing energy security, reducing dependence on fossil fuels, reducing carbon emissions, and achieving Egypt’s international commitments to confront climate change.
In conclusion, Egypt would like to emphasize Its constant readiness to continue sharing its expertise in the field of infrastructure, electricity, and renewable energy with its fellow African countries, as well as continuing to provide training grants and technical support to countries on the continent.
