The Central Corridor Transit Transport Facilitation Agency had the privilege of co-hosting with the African Union Development Agency – New Partnership for African Development (AUDA-NEPAD) a two-day Technical Working Group Meeting of Regional Economic Corridor Authorities in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania to discuss the Trans African Highway Project. The Meeting was chaired by Hon. Raila Odinga who is the Africa Union (AU) High Representative on Infrastructure Development.
The Trans-African Highway Project is a network of sophisticated road projects in Africa aimed at connecting all the major cities in the continent involving 10 routes in 16 countries with over 60,000 KM to be covered.
In his remarks, Hon. Raila Odinga insisted on ‘Delivering as One’ in the process of bringing together infrastructure projects around the continent as they are interconnected. “We need to deliver as one in our infrastructure projects around the continent to ease movement of people and goods in order to promote trade among African countries and reduce the cost of doing business for our people. We have to be thinking of how to integrate this multi-billion infrastructure projects to benefit our people.”
CCTTFA Executive Secretary Capt. Dieudonne Dukundane in his opening remarks highlighted the critical role Central Corridor has played in facilitating the 5 (Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda) member countries on infrastructure development with the aim of reducing transport costs of goods and reducing trade barriers for users of the Central Corridor route. He also touched on upcoming infrastructure projects on the Central Corridor route that will be ‘game changers’ once completed. The Projects include:
- a) Tanzania & Rwanda: Dar-Isaka-Kigali SGR
b) Tanzania & Burundi: Tabora-Uvinza-Musongati SGR project & Uvinza-Kasulu/Gitaza-BJM
c) Tanzania & DRC: Tabora-Kigoma-Uvira-Bukavu/Kigoma-Kalemi-Kindu/Kigoma-Kalemi-Lubumbashi.
d) Tanzania & Uganda: Dar-Mwanza-Port Bell multimodal project.
The two day meeting concluded by coming up with the aptly titled DAR ES SALAAM ACTION PLAN, a five (2019-2023) year action plan that includes facilitating the development and modernization of transnational highway corridors identified as part of the Trans-African Highways Network.
CCTTFA Executive Secretary Capt. Dieudonne Dukundane (Right) welcoming Hon. Raila Odinga (Left) to the Technical Working Group Meeting of Regional Economic Corridor Authorities in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Looking on is Kenya’s Ambassador to Tanzania Mr. Dan Kazungu and AUDA-NEPAD Senior Advisor on Strategic Infrastructure Mr.Adama Deen.