DUBAI: Ethiopian President Taye Selassie said Africa’s economic transformation is propelled by major cross-border infrastructure corridors, highlighting Tanzania’s Dar es Salaam port as a critical gateway for regional trade.
Speaking at the World Governments Summit in Dubai, Selassie cited the North–South Corridor linking Dar es Salaam to the Copper belt region of Central Africa as one of the continent’s most important emerging trade routes.
He also pointed to the Central Corridor connecting the Great Lakes region to the Indian Ocean, and the Lamu Port–South Sudan–Ethiopia Transport (LAPSSET) Corridor linking Kenya, South Sudan and Ethiopia, as pillars of Africa’s connectivity strategy.
“These routes are not just asphalt and railways. They are the veins and arteries of regional cooperation that will boost Africa’s industrial upgrade,” Selassie said.
He urged African countries to expand air connectivity, saying Ethiopia is constructing a $12.5 billion international airport with capacity for 110 million passengers and more than 3 million tonnes of cargo annually.
TZ plans integrated port-rail network to boost regional trade, president says
Selassie said stronger transport links were essential to boosting trade, investment and people-to-people ties within Africa, particularly as global economic and geopolitical conditions shift.
He said deeper economic cooperation, including full implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), would help African economies withstand external shocks.
“With its implementation, we will be consolidating a market of 1.3 billion people with a collective GDP exceeding $3.4 trillion,” he said.
Selassie described AfCFTA as a flagship initiative under the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and said it could support regional production networks by eliminating up to 90% of tariff barriers.
The Global Africa Investment Summit (GAIS) is being held alongside the World Governments Summit, bringing together African governments and global investors to promote structured, bankable investment opportunities.