Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development Minister Charles Milupi says Africa should prioritise stakeholder engagement aimed at leveraging infrastructure development as this is key to the development of the continent.
Speaking during a panel discussion at the on-going Infrastructure Africa Conference in Cape Town, South Africa yesterday, Hon. Milupi said Africa’s intention is to better the lives of the people across the continent and that infrastructure development is key towards achieving this.
He says Africa now has an opportunity to define its future by taking advantage of the abundant natural resources at its disposal which must be translated into the desired development outcomes through prudent management.
He says in Zambia, the Government is working hard to actualise economic growth that will trickle down to the citizens and that if this can be done sustainably over a period of time, it will help to alleviate poverty among the people.
He says Zambia has identified economic sectors such as mining, agriculture, tourism and manufacturing to spur economic growth.
“To get these functioning, we have to get to the market and that is where infrastructure comes in. In Zambia, we are surrounded by eight neighbours and we are a land-linked country. This is why we look at our neighbours and those beyond as our potential markets but to actualise this, we need infrastructure that not only links us within our country, but also connects us to our neighbours and beyond. For example, we are linking with the DRC through various road networks and also developing cooperation with DRC and Angola by developing the Lobito Corridor by putting a railway line that will enable us to facilitate imports and exports through Lobito. We are also developing the Nacala Corridor which will link us to Malawi and Mozambique. We have also seen the need to ensure that our aviation infrastructure is in place to ensure that tourists can easily come and visit our country and connect to various destinations,” Hon. Milupi said.
He says in order to develop infrastructure, Zambia has decided to leverage the private sector through Public- Private Partnerships (PPPs) and that so far, many projects have been done through this model and that this is opening up corridors that connect to other countries.
The Infrastructure Africa Conference, which is taking place in Cape Town has attracted various stakeholders and infrastructure experts.
The Conference, which is being convened under the theme “Bringing you the Business of Infrastructure Development in Africa,” Infrastructure Africa aims to connect industry stakeholders, foster dialogue, provide leading-edge information, promote investment and expansion, as well as facilitate business development around Africa’s growth and infrastructure needs.
The Conference also seeks to provide a platform of information sharing relating to the business opportunities around infrastructure development in Africa.
This is contained in a statement made available to the media by First Secretary Press and Public Relations at the Zambia High Commission in South Africa Tamara Nyirenda.
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