Infrastructural push being given by several African countries would have its impact soon according to some experts. The focus on critically important infrastructural segments like highways, airports, ports and construction of road connectivity between commercial cities and ports, particularly by the landlocked countries in the continent will not only facilitate trade and investment as envisioned by the African Union as a prerequisite for connecting countries more intimately but also will bring people closer to markets, thereby facilitating inclusive growth.
Importantly, Tanzania secured a US$272 million loan recently from the African Development Bank (AfDB) to build a new international airport at its administrative capital Dodoma some 12 kms from the city in a place called Msalato. It will take four years to complete the project and will have a capacity to handle 1 million passengers annually. Msalato has only two million people living now and it is expected population would grow several fold in the future after naming it as the administrative capital. Already establishments are shifted from the commercial capital Dar es Salaam.
A high-speed railway network is already under construction connecting Tanzania’s countryside, with major cities. AfDB’s Infrastructure and Urban Development Department has already lent US$2.1 billion to Tanzania. More than half of the loan is spent on transport related projects.
Rwanda is also investing heavily in airports. Recently, Qatar Airways had agreed to take a 60 % stake in a new US$1.3 billion international airport at Buesera district, 25 kms from the capital city of Kigali. The airport to be built in two stages, will provide facilities for over 21 million passengers annually. The first phase when completed would cater to 7 million people. Earlier in 2017, Kigali had a plan to develop a smaller airport to handle passengers up to 4.5 million in the same location. That time, the agreement was between the Rwandan government and the African division of Portuguese construction firm Mota-Engil to build an international airport at a cost of $818 million. The proposal from Qatar Airways came later and Rwandan government feels that it is a better deal.
