TRANSPORTATION IN

AFRICA
A KEYNOTE ADDRESS
BY
KWEKU K. BENTIL
Ph.D. CIVIL ENGINEERING (UNIV. OF FLORIDA)
VICE PROVOST
(EAST AFRICA, SOUTH-CENTRAL ASIA & UNITED KINGDOM)

AGA KHAN UNIVERSITY

FORMER & FOUNDING VICE CHANCELLOR
BIUST, BOTSWANA
ICTA 2014 CONFERENCE
DECEMBER 15-17, 2014
GABORONE, BOTSWANA

TRANSPORTATION IN AFRICA

IMPORTANCE

WHAT WE KNOW

WHAT WE NEED TO DO

WHY WE ARE NOT DOING IT

WHAT WE CAN DO

IMPORTANCE OF
TRANSPORTATION

MAJOR CONTRIBUTOR TO ECONOMIC AND

SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

ESSENTIAL FOR TRADE (EXPORT, IMPORT &

DISTRIBUTION OF GOODS)

ESSENTIAL FOR FOOD SECURITY

IMPORTANCE OF
TRANSPORTATION

SIGNIFICANT FOR RAISNG GDP OF

NATIONS

ESSENTIAL FOR EMPLOYMENT

CAN BOOST INTRA-AFRICA TRADE

WHAT WE KNOW

MARINE TRANSPORTATION

SHIPS, FERRIES & BOATS

INSUFFICIENT NUMBER OF PORTS

INAVAILABILITY OF INTER-MODAL SYSTEMS

AVIATION IN AFRICA
The African aviation industry is a vital catalyst for
Africas economic growth and social advancement. A safe,
reliable and profitable African aviation industry that
facilitates business, trade, tourism and social interaction
on the African continent and beyond will help to create
wealth and promote sustainable development in Africa.

Mr Nick Fadugba
CEO, African Aviation Services Limited
& former Secretary General, African Airlines Association
(AFRAA)

OVERVIEW WHAT WE KNOW

AVIATION

FEW AIRLINES CARRY MORE THAN 2-MILLION

PASSENGERS/YEAR

ARIK AIR
SOUTH AFRICAN AIRWAYS
KENYA AIRWAYS
ETHIOPIAN AIRWAYS
EGYPTAIR
ROYAL AIR MAROC

35-40%
50-60%
35-40%
80-85%

AFRICA-EUROPE
NORTH AMERICA
MIDDLE EAST
ASIA

OVERVIEW WHAT WE KNOW

AVIATION

OLDER ANTIQUATED AIRCRAFT

INEFFICIENCY

MISMANAGEMENT (100+ DEFUNCT AIRLINES)

GHANA AIRWAYS (1958-2004)

NIGERIA AIRWAYS (1958 -2003)
ZAMBIA AIRLINES (1967-1995)
ZAMBEZI AIRLINES (1998-2010)
GHANA INTERNATIONAL AIRLINES (2005-2010)

OVERVIEW WHAT WE KNOW

AVIATION

SAFETY ISSUES
AFRICA AND LATIN AMERICA RANKED AS LEAST

SAFE AVIATION NETWORKS (Wall Street Journal)

AFRICA ACCOUNTS FOR ABOUT 25% OF AIR
CRASHES
LACK OF EMERGENCY EQUIPMENT

POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE

LACK OF JETWAYS AT TERMINALS
STAFF ATTITUDE

OVERVIEW WHAT WE KNOW

RAIL
VERY POOR CONDITION LEFTOVER FROM
COLONIAL DAYS
WORSE SHAPE THAN ROADS
APPROXIMATELY 52 RAIL SYSTEMS IN 33
COUNTRIES
69,000 Kilometers OUT OF 82,000 Kilometers
ARE USABLE
SMALL AND DISJOINTED MARKET

RAILWAY MAP OF AFRICA

SOURCE AICD

OVERVIEW WHAT WE KNOW

RAIL

BIG PLAYER IN THE PAST

CURRENTLY VERY MINOR CONTRIBUTION TO

THE NEEDS OF THE CONTINENT

TRANSPORT MAP OF AFRICA

SOURCE: AFRICA ONLINE DIGITAL MEDIA

OVERVIEW WHAT WE KNOW

ROAD TRANSPORTATION

SAFETY ISSUES
16% OF ALL ROAD FATALITIES IN THE WORLD

DEFERRED MANTENANCE

POOR ENFORCEMENT OF TRAFFIC RULES AND

REGULATIONS

WHAT WE NEED TO DO

CONSIDER TRANSPORTATION AS A MAJOR

PILLAR IN SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT

PRIVATISATION OF TRANSPORTATION

AFRICAN COUNTRIES SHOULD JOIN

HANDS

WHY ARE WE NOT DOING IT?

CONCLUSION

TRANSPORTATION CAN PLAY A PIVOTAL ROLE IN

ENABLING SUPPLY CHAINS AND DISTRIBUTION NETWORKS

FACILITATING MOBILITY

CREATING JOBS

INCREASING INTRA-AFRICA TRADE

IMPROVING FOOD SECURITY

CONCLUSION
FROM

TO

TRANSPORTATION
STAGNANCY

TRANSPORTATION
RENNAISANCE

COLONIAL
LEFTOVER/LEGACY

NEXT GENERATION OF
SYSTEMS

CLOSED SKIES

OPEN SKIES

NO CHOICE MENTALITY

INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS

CONCLUSION

ENORMOUS CONTINENT

RICH IN NATURAL SOURCES

VERY POOR IN INFRASTRUCTURE

INTRA-AFRICAN TRADE IS VERY LOW

NOT VISIBLE IN WORLD TRADE

CONCLUSION
WHAT IS MISSING?

TRANSPORTATION

THANK
YOU!
KE A LEBOGA!
ASANTE SAANA!