THE ROLE OF THE TRANSPORT SECTOR IN THE NEW PARTNERSHIP FOR AFRICA'S DEVELOPMENT (NEPAD)

For many years Africa has presented a gloomy socio-economic picture. The problems Africa faces are so complex and interlinked that a holistic approach is needed to address the issues. Africa is increasingly being marginalised from world development. It accounts for only about 2% of the world total economic exchanges (UNECA, 2000). The New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) is an initiative by African leaders to inspire political stability and address shortages in infrastructure, education and health in an attempt to end misery across Africa and launch its sustainable development. Inadequate infrastructure is a critical obstacle to intra-African trade and to the competitiveness of African products in international markets. Transport can facilitate the flow of people, ideas and technology. Bridging the transport infrastructure gap is therefore an important factor in unlocking the human and economic potential of the continent. NEPAD aims to coordinate and channel regionally fragmented efforts into one core long-term vision for the continent. NEPAD cannot work if there is too much high level strategic regional focus with little involvement of civil society, specific requirements and needs of African countries, and the private sector. It should develop some general high-level objectives and strategies related to transport operations and infrastructure, such as simplifying and harmonising transport regulations, deregulating the air industry and implementing the Yamoussoukro decisions, and focusing investments on transport corridors (road or rail).