The figures do not lie. Africa’s infrastructure has been playing catch up for decades. It is estimated that 60% of the population of Africa lacks access to modern infrastructure. And what makes for further grim reading is that 38% have access to electricity, 10% internet penetration, and 75% of Africa’s road network is unpaved. This bleak picture is confirmed by the World Economic Forum’s, Global Competitiveness Index (GCI) 2018. It places more than half of the least competitive countries in the world in Sub-Saharan Africa, due largely to the massive infrastructural deficit. Ghana is ranked 106 out of 140 countries in the GCI. Furthermore, the Infrastructure Consortium for Africa (ICA) weighs in with the assertion that, Africa’s infrastructural services costs are more than any place in the world. There have been several blueprints and initiatives that capture the importance of infrastructure in continental transformation. There is the integrated strategic blueprint for continental infrastructure transformation for 2012-2040 also known as the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA) 2012 and the adoption of the African Union Agenda 2063. All these lofty initiatives come with big targets. PIDA is projecting development of 37,200km highways, 30,200km railways and 16,500km of interconnected power lines by 2040. It plans to add 54,150 megawatt of hydroelectric power and an extra 1.3 million tons throughput capacity at the ports. These ambitious targets and initiatives have huge resource implications. How does Ghana fit into the grand scheme of things, in this unfolding continental masterplan for infrastructure development? The Infrastructure Consortium for Africa in its 2017 report indicated that $81.6 billion of investments were committed to infrastructural development in Africa in 2017 from all sources, up from $66.9 billion in 2016.
Climate Change
“Climate Change” has become a contentious phrase in the political lexicon of some parts of the world, but the threat is real. Africa’s restricted infrastructure has borne the brunt of severe climactic impacts from climate change. The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, African Union Commission, World Bank and the African Development Bank have teamed up and launched the Africa Climate Resilient Investment Facility- AFRI-RES. The aim is to strengthen the capacity of African institutions and project developers to integrate climate resilience into the planning, design and implementation of investments in critical sectors like, water, agriculture, energy and transport. It is estimated that 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions which is a core driver of climate change can be laid at the doorstep of facilities constructed by the infrastructure and urban development industry. Experts postulate that Africa’s infrastructure industry is at risk from climate change and to minimize the risk, there is a need to incorporate climate resilience into the planning and implementation of infrastructure projects undertaken.