Amine Idriss Adoum is the Director of Programme Implementation and Coordination at the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD). He is responsible for accelerating the implementation and delivery of programmes in the areas of infrastructure, energy, environmental sustainability, trade and industry, education and human capital development, innovation and technology. Interview.
NEPAD-IPPF: NEPAD-IPPF is celebrating its 15th anniversary. What would you like to say about the progress made by the fund and the major achievements from 2002 to 2018?
Amine Idriss Adoum: First of all, I congratulate the team that has been working on Nepad-IPPF since the beginning, the AfDB, the African Union Development Agency and all partners. One of the key achievements to Nepad-Ippf, I would say, is really the size of the resources mobilised, with an initial investment of US$114 million to mobilise about US$4 billion of investment that has actually been put into various projects; let's say the Abidjan - Lagos corridor. You also have the Praia-Dakar-Djibouti corridor and if I look at the figures, I can see the number of projects that have been funded by Nepad-Ippf. It is simply incredible! 15 projects in the Southern African region, 19 projects in West Africa, 4 Pan-African projects and 16 in the Central African region. 32 in East Africa and 5 in the North African region.
I have to say, firstly, that Nepad-Ippf is really helping to restructure the way we manage infrastructure in Africa and, secondly, it is having a huge structure impact on the way we restructure our economies. A lot has been achieved, but there is still a lot to do. We are not even half way there yet, but we are making progress and I am really happy to be part of this team.
NEPAD-IPPF: So NEPAD-IPPF and NEPAD are key to unlocking the potential of the African Continental Free Trade Area (ACFTA). How are you working together to mobilise resources and stimulate investment in infrastructure in Africa?
Amine Idriss Adoum: To implement the Continental Free Trade Area, we need infrastructure. This is critical. There is no trade without roads, and there is no trade without ports, airports, railways and there is not even free movement of people without infrastructure. So ACFTA and PIDA-PAP 2, for example, through Nepad-Ippf, are closely linked. So we work together to mobilise resources but also for ACFTA. So the ACFTA secretariat was accepted last year and it became operational from 2021. So AUDA, NEPAD and AfDB are working together to mobilise resources not only for IPPF, but first of all, we have the same partners and secondly, it's about supporting the ACFTA secretariat to become more operational and start showing results. So we are making plans, not only to stimulate inter-African trade but also to increase the reliability, the quality of our infrastructure, but also the supply of infrastructure.
NEPAD-IPPF: To conclude, what are your hopes with programmes such as PIDA PAP 2, CAADP, Africa 2063?
Amine Idriss Adoum: PIDA-PAP 2 is one of the ways in which we think we are going to change the continent between the African Union and the African Development Bank and of course AUDA-NEPAD. It is a US$170 billion investment programme with over 60 transnational and regional infrastructure projects. PIDA-PAP 2 will certainly boost intra-African trade. PIDA-PAP 2 will also promote the free movement of people across the continent and finally, PIDA-PAP 2 will accelerate the modernisation of African economies and institutions. So over the next ten years we have a lot to do between the African Union Agency and the African Development Bank, and especially to work together to increase the amount of funding we can provide through FIPA. I think the future is bright and we will get there together.
About NEPAD AGENCY
The NEPAD Agency is the implementing agency of the African Union that advocates for NEPAD, facilitates and coordinates the development of NEPAD continent-wide programmes and projects, mobilises resources and engages the global community, regional economic communities and member states in the implementation of these programmes and projects.
The NEPAD Agency replaced the NEPAD Secretariat which had coordinated the implementation of NEPAD programmes and projects since 2001.
The NEPAD Agency mandate is to:
1. Facilitate and coordinate the implementation of continental and regional priority programmes and projects.
2. Mobilise resources and partners in support of the implementation of Africa's priority programmes and projects.
3. Conduct and coordinate research and knowledge management.
4. Monitor and evaluate the implementation of programmes.
5. Advocate on the AU and NEPAD vision, mission and core principle/ values.
