Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, represented by Azouz Nasri, President of the National Council, delivered a speech at the NEPAD founding countries' summit in El-Alamein. He highlighted Algeria's significant projects to strengthen connections with the African continent and support economic integration. These projects include the Trans-Saharan Highway, a railway extension to the south, a trans-Saharan fiber optic cable, and a trans-Saharan gas pipeline.
The Trans-Saharan Highway, connecting Algeria to five African countries, is a strategic axis for trade, people, and goods circulation, as well as investment development. The project aims to enhance economic rapprochement with neighboring countries and open new perspectives for exchanges and integration. President Tebboune emphasized that these initiatives are not just national achievements but will become cornerstones in constructing a more connected and integrated African space.
Algeria's development vision includes investing in human capital, with the country having contributed to the training of tens of thousands of African cadres in various specialties since its independence. Each year, Algeria offers training opportunities and scholarships to African students. President Tebboune called for lessons to be drawn from 25 years of African action and for a new phase focused on project execution and concrete results.
The President identified the main challenge as reducing the gap between displayed ambitions and achieved results. He stressed the need to move from planning to execution and from fragmented approaches to structuring projects with significant impact. African ownership of development should not be limited to defining priorities but must also include means of financing, execution, monitoring, and evaluation.
President Tebboune advocated for strengthening the role of African financial institutions, particularly in mobilizing domestic resources and directing capital towards development priorities. He also called for a more equitable international financial system with better representation of the continent's interests. The private sector should play a significant role in investment, production, innovation, job creation, and regional and continental value chain development.
To achieve these goals, President Tebboune recommended improving the business environment, enhancing public-private partnerships, and developing innovative financing mechanisms. These mechanisms should lead to feasible projects with precise deadlines and measurable indicators. The impact on the lives of African citizens must be the true criterion for evaluating common action.
The Algerian President also called for strengthening the African Union Development Agency-NEPAD to give it the necessary means to fulfill its missions effectively. He advocated for a stronger, more flexible, and efficient agency with sufficient operational capacities and financial resources. The goal is to make the 25th anniversary of NEPAD the beginning of a new stage of common African action based on confidence in the continent's capabilities and the transformation of its ambitions into concrete achievements.
Key points
- Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune highlights major infrastructure projects aimed at enhancing African integration and economic development at the NEPAD summit.
- President Tebboune calls for a new phase of African action focused on project execution and concrete results, emphasizing the need to reduce the gap between ambitions and achieved results.
- Algeria advocates for strengthening African financial institutions and the private sector's role in investment, production, and development to achieve these goals.
