Opening remarks by President Cyril Ramaphosa to the meeting of the Heads of State and Government of the Presidential Infrastructure Champion Initiative

Your Excellencies, Heads of State and Government;
Your Excellency Nardos Bekele-Thomas, CEO of the African Union Development Agency;
Minister of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation of South Africa, Ms Maropene Ramokgopa;
Honourable Ministers;
Members of the PICI Technical Task Team;
Guests;
Ladies and gentlemen;

Welcome to this first meeting of the Presidential Infrastructure Champion Initiative for 2026.

We look forward to engaging on the PICI's 2024-2025 Progress Report, and to reflecting on the joint actions we need to take to accelerate our momentum.

Infrastructure is a catalyst for economic growth and drives inclusive development. It enables access to markets, essential services and economic opportunities.

By prioritising infrastructure development, we are laying the groundwork for long-term economic resilience and continental integration through the African Continental Free Trade Area.

A report last year from the OECD and the AU Commission said that Africa could double its GDP by 2040 if countries scale up their infrastructure investment.

It is estimated that between $130 billion and $170 billion is required annually to close the infrastructure funding gap in Africa.

The report further notes that governments account for 41 percent of the continent's infrastructure spend. This makes governments key to scaling up investment alongside bilateral and multilateral development partners.

It is pleasing that despite fiscal constraints and geopolitical shifts, our projects have shown remarkable resilience.

The Trans-Sahara Highway, for example, is now more than 90 percent complete. This brings us closer to the vision of a fully integrated 10,000 km 'African Unity Road'.

The Algerian segment of the fibre optic link between Nigeria and Algeria is now operational.

We welcome the ongoing work to eliminate roaming charges in the East African Community through the Smart Africa Initiative, under Rwanda's leadership. This is a model we hope to replicate across the continent.

We note also the renewed political momentum for the Trans-Sahara Gas Pipeline and the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor, mobilising more than $15 billion in investment interest.

South African factories are now producing locomotives with over 70 percent local content, proving that Africa can build for Africa.

We will shortly be going into greater detail on these and other projects under the PICI portfolio.

To sustain the progress being made, the PICI Secretariat has to become a dedicated project facility that bridges the gap between conceptualisation and financial close.

We will need to mobilise substantial funds to address early-stage gaps. Preparing megaprojects is resource-intensive and often lacks dedicated financing.

With sufficient financial capacity we will be able to deploy high-level technical expertise, conduct rigorous feasibility studies and create investment-ready packages that meet international standards.

In this way, the Secretariat will be better positioned to leverage continental support mechanisms such as the NEPAD Infrastructure Project Preparation Facility to steer priority projects towards bankability and full implementation.

The experience of the PICI has shown that high-level political ownership is the single most critical variable for unblocking bottlenecks.

We must remain vigilant.

Political instability in some regions has stalled critical projects.

We must use our collective influence to shield these projects from political cycles and ensure they are incorporated into national legislation for the sake of continuity.

Allow me to conclude by acknowledging our appreciation to all who have been part of producing the report.

The line-function Ministers and members of the Inter-Ministerial Committee continue to play a key role in driving the projects forward in our respective countries.

Thank you to Her Excellency Ms Nardos Bekele-Thomas of AUDA-NEPAD and her Secretariat Team for coordinating the production of this comprehensive report.

AUDA-NEPAD has been instrumental in maintaining the PICI tracking systems and moving the projects forward.

We extend our thanks to the PICI Technical Task Team for its rigorous work and validation of the initial reports.

The quarterly deliberations and analytical insights have ensured that the recommendations we discuss today are grounded in technical reality and operational feasibility.

This report is more than a record of achievements; it is a call to action.

We must intensify our efforts, foster deeper collaboration and leverage innovative financing to bring our projects to full implementation.

The need is great, and our people look to us with even greater expectation.

Together, we are weaving a tapestry of progress that will ensure that every corner of our continent is connected and that every country thrives.

I thank you.