A Ghanaian official on Monday called for the transformation of Africa’s critical infrastructure to power real development.
Mohammed Amin Adam, Minister for Finance, made this call during the official launch of the 2025 Africa Prosperity Dialogues, organized annually by the Africa Prosperity Network, a continent-wide think-tank, and the AfCFTA secretariat to dialogue on using trade to unlock Africa’s prosperity.
Adam said infrastructure deficits—inadequate networks of roads, rail, and waterways make transport costs in Africa among the highest in the world, which makes the movement of goods and services expensive and difficult, impeding growth on the continent.
“Deficient infrastructure in today’s Africa has been found to sap growth by as much as 2.0 a year. Quite frankly, we have a continental problem that requires a continental solution.”
The minister said, based on data from the African Development Bank, that Africa requires a staggering 130 billion U.S. dollars annually to bridge this critical infrastructure gap.
The level of infrastructure is an impediment to the success of free trade on the continent as envisaged under the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), said the minister.
Moreover, Adam said that with weak rails, undeveloped airports, and seaports that have low capacity for cargo, low energy coverage, and bad road infrastructure, free trade would face severe challenges.
“We must redouble our efforts to invest in critical infrastructure projects, including transportation, energy, and digital connectivity, to unlock Africa’s full potential for trade and investment,” Adam urged. The minister believes that the goals of AfCFTA would be achieved with a strengthened infrastructure on the continent, boosting trade, creating jobs, reducing poverty, and bringing economic prosperity to the citizens.