Rodrigo Manso’s Post

EU’s Global Gateway keeps focus on investments in Africa The EU will invest around €150B in infrastructure in Africa by 2027. Compared to investments elsewhere in the world, African projects remain a key focus of its Global Gateway initiative, as a report on China’s competitor scheme, the New Silk Road shows RE: https://lnkd.in/eFUqztER #InfrastructureAfrica #infrastructure #infrastructurefinance #infrastructuredevelopment #infrastructureinvestment

🚂 The Lobito Corridor: Africa's Gateway to a Sustainable and United Future 🌍 Africa is on the verge of something big! The Lobito Corridor—a $10 billion railway project backed by the US—isn’t just another infrastructure project. It’s a bold move toward a connected, prosperous, and sustainable Africa. But what does this really mean for our continent? Let’s dive in! 🛤️ 🔑 A Game-Changer for Trade and Development Imagine cutting transport times from 50+ days by road to just one week by rail. That’s the promise of the Lobito Corridor! 🌟 This project could unlock massive economic potential for Angola, the DRC, and Zambia—reducing costs, boosting exports, and opening doors to global markets. But wait, there’s more! By linking this project with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), we could create a powerful trade network that spans the continent. Picture goods flowing seamlessly from coast to coast, strengthening our regional value chains and reducing dependence on external markets. 🌐 Africa on the Global Stage: Strategic Diplomacy in Action The Lobito Corridor exemplifies African agency, complementing global initiatives like China's Belt and Road. Angola and the DRC are building strategic partnerships, asserting their influence while pursuing their own development goals. 💚 Sustainability: The Key to Lasting Impact Railways are greener, but the Lobito Corridor must be more than just a fast track. It’s about building a future where infrastructure drives both economic and social progress. By aligning with AfCFTA’s goals, we can ensure this project promotes environmental stewardship and benefits local communities. 🌱 This isn’t just about moving goods; it’s about moving Africa forward—toward a future where large-scale projects are models for sustainable development. 🌍✨ 🤝 A Collaborative Vision for Africa’s Future The Lobito Corridor could be the backbone of a connected Africa. Imagine a continent where trade flows freely, collaboration is the norm, and regional integration is a reality. This unified approach will strengthen Africa’s position in global trade, attract investment, and foster innovation across the continent. By working together, we can ensure that projects like the Lobito Corridor deliver long-term prosperity for all. 🌟💼 🚀 The Challenge Ahead: Turning Vision into Reality The potential is huge, but so are the challenges. Realizing this vision will require strong leadership, careful planning, and a commitment to collaboration. Let’s work together to make sure the Lobito Corridor lives up to its promise and sets a new standard for Africa’s development. 💬 Join the Conversation! How do YOU see the Lobito Corridor shaping Africa’s future? Can it become a model for sustainable infrastructure? Share your thoughts below, and let’s explore the possibilities together! 🚀🌍👌🏽 #AfricaRising #AfCFTA #SustainableDevelopment #GlobalTrade #LobitoCorridor #Infrastructure #StrategicPartnerships #Innovation #linkedin

🌍 🛤 Investments in #Africa: Now it's up to the business community 💪 Together with the USA and other G7 partners, the #EU is financing important #railway projects in Angola, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.   This is a success for the European Commission and a clear indication that the #GlobalGateway infrastructure initiative has picked up speed and is increasingly competing with China's ‘new Silk Road’ (also called 'Belt-and-Road'-initiative).   But beware: it remains to be seen whether the investments will actually help to improve Europe's #commodity supply. This is because #China is pushing ahead with a rival project - and is ahead of the game when it comes to investing in African mines. https://lnkd.in/ghg5PfVT

France signaled its eastward shift in Africa this week, with its top diplomat making Kenya his first stop on the continent and unveiling high-profile investments. In Ethiopia, meanwhile, it was the World Bank making an investment splash. “Africa is becoming a global powerhouse,” French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné said in Nairobi on April 6. “Kenya and France have shared destinies and challenges” and “a growing partnership.” France will finance an upgrade of Nairobi’s commuter rail network and invest in eight sports and cultural hubs around Kenya. France and Kenya already are working to expand international climate finance under a framework proposed by Barbados that may including taxing fossil fuel extraction. Last year, Air France-KLM opened its Africa headquarters in Nairobi as the group eyes a scale-up of flights. (Travel tip: Delta and Air France team up on flight connections between America and Kenya via Paris, an appealing route I’ve flown.) French development financing is backing a hydropower project in Tanzania, France’s Total Energies is developing Uganda’s oilfields, and French investment is advancing Ethiopia’s Tulu Moye geothermal project. Bien aussi: French is now an official language of the East African Community, a political and economic grouping, thanks to the entry of Democratic Republic of Congo. (The French foreign minister posted a video of him listening to a French-singing young Kenyan woman, saying on Twitter/X she reflects the vitality of the French-speaking world.) In Ethiopia last week the vibe also was electric as the World Bank announced up to USD 1.4 billion in financing during the next 10 years to help utilities speed up connections to the grid. About half of Ethiopians lack access to reliable electricity, the third-biggest energy deficit in sub-Saharan Africa, the World Bank says. The program, with $522 million in approved financing, also will help Ethiopia tap more solar, wind and geothermal energy to supplement its huge hydropower resources from the Nile and Omo rivers. A few days earlier, the World Bank approved a $300 million grant for its Rural Connectivity for Food Security initiative that envisions improved “all-season” connectivity of roads and bridges in rural areas and digital links for market platforms to promote contract farming management. The goal: to assist 11.3 million Ethiopians, roughly 10 percent of the population. Une évolution positive. (Photo: Séjourné in Nairobi via Twitter/X) #kenya #france #eastafrica #afrique #senegal #drc #nairobi #ethiopia #climatefinance #solar #windenergy #greenenergy #developmentfinance #worldbank #electricity #africatech

There is a lot of investment going into East Africa.

More infrastructure investment into Angola/ DRC to get minerals to the coast. We should remember that the EU is continuing to invest on the continent and that rate hasn't slowed in recent times.

#hardhatINSIGHT: #Infrastructureinvestment is critical for #subSaharanAfrica's development, especially given the weak recovery from COVID-19 and capital flight from developed countries. https://lnkd.in/gfnPCiZ4

Africa Investment Forum African Regional Corridors Quest To Integrate Africa Session. African Development Bank Group-Operational African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat offers opportunities to boost inter regional trade and emergence of more national, regional and globally connected value chains through development of infrastructure by providing $44b in past 7 years, mobilizing around $2b to regional infrastructure with double the amount from co financing partners. Banks focus on regional integration has catalyzed public private investment in transport and electricity projects with active portfolio of over $13.5 billion, financing development of regional electricity corridors for reliable and competitively priced electricity. AfDB and partners are implementing a $20b Desert to Power Initiative to develop 10GW of solar power across 11 countries across the Sahel region including regional transmission lines in collaboration with the African Union Commission and regional economic communities for development and expansion of regional power pools. Regional transport corridors will fastrack integration by lowering transport costs, connect landlocked countries to coastal states, improve regional trade and competitiveness, ensure that roads, rails and ports connect countries to zones of major agricultural or mineral potential. By 2022, AfDB financed 25 transport corridors, constructed over 18,000km of road, 27 border posts and 16 bridges for $13.5b with projects like; ✴ Mozambique Beira Corridor transport system for Mozambique🇲🇿, Zambia🇿🇲, Zimbabwe🇿🇼.   ✴ $259m Kazungula Bridge for Botswana🇧🇼 and Zambia🇿🇲 ✴ $2.7b Nacala Rail and Port Project connects Mozambique🇲🇿 and Malawi🇲🇼 ✴ Senegambia bridge connects Gambia🇬🇲 and Senegal🇸🇳 ✴ The Lagos Abdijan corridor connects, Nigeria🇳🇬, Benin🇧🇯, Togo🇹🇬, cote D’Ivoire🇨🇮 ✴ $1.6b strategic Lobito corridors to create linkages to mines and connect them to a port in Angola🇦🇴 Dedicated pools of finance to support preparation and development of corridor projects, special industrial zones should be built around corridors to optimize existing infrastructure in these projects, platform to identify and syndicate around development of strategic regional corridors to foster better collaboration, co-financing and faster development of corridors, one stop border posts should be set up for trade facilitation and reduction of transport time on these corridors, Concessional financing to support low income countries to commit to development of regional corridors with a superior leveraging effect from African development fund will support infrastructure development. #aif23 #AfricaInvestmentForum

The #EuropeanCommission and the #AfricanDevelopmentBank have signed a new framework agreement for their existing #financialpartnership, with #Brussels hoping that the deal will give a boost to its Global Gateway infrastructure initiative in #Africa. According to the EU, plans are to invest around €150 billion in Africa between 2021 and 2027 as part of Global Gateway. That is half the planned €300 billion that it will invest around the world over the same period. However, these headline figures are misleading, since the investments are expected to come largely from the private sector; with the EU securing the money through its investment guarantee. It remains to be seen how these investments play out positively in the future for both the investors and the investees. Meagan Rabe Joy Motlaleng Fatima Coulibaly Andrea Böhmert

European Commission announces additional €1.2 billion #investment #package for #infrastructure and #support to #entrepreneurship in the #Western #Balkans The #European #Commission announced the sixth #investment #package under the EU's Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans that is expected to mobilise €1.2 billion in investments. This package will support #eight #new #flagship investments in #water supply and #sanitation, #wastewater treatment and #rail #transport, as well as #innovation and #green #transformation in small and medium enterprises. The investments will be rolled out in close cooperation with the #Western #Balkan #partners and #international #financial #institutions. The €1.2 billion in investment package includes €300 million in EU grants from the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA III), additional bilateral contributions from EU Member States and Norway, loans from international financing institutions and contributions from the economies of the Western Balkans. The new flagship investments fall under three priorities of the Economic and Investment Plan: Environment and climate: Reconstruction and rehabilitation of water supply and sanitation infrastructure in Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Sustainable transport: advancing on Corridor X rail infrastructure, with the high-speed Belgrade – Velika Plana connection enabling a faster flow of passengers and freight in the region. Support to the business sector: launch of a new facility for innovation and green transformation of enterprises in the region. Alongside being the main financial vehicle for implementing the EU's Economic and Investment Plan, the WBIF will also play an important role in the implementation of the new €6 billion Reform and Growth Facility for the Western Balkans, which has the double objective to boost socio-economic convergence with the EU and accelerate the accession process. The WBIF will channel €3 billion of grants and loans under the Facility to support priority investments in transport, energy, digital and human capital areas. https://lnkd.in/dG8bTcS9