Global Gateway Support to Transport Corridors in Africa – Consolidated Report

"This report provides summary comparative assessment of 11 Global Gateway Transport corridors in Africa. The focus is on the comparative modelling results under four specific objectives: 1) Reduce carbon footprint and preserve biodiversity; 2) Enhance digitaisation; 3) Improve accessibility: access to public services in the corridor territory, linking also rural road networks, urban mobility and connectivity in and between cities; 4) Unlock productive areas and support value chains’ development, e.g. mining / including raw materials, agriculture / agri-business, industry, etc.; and the overall objective to strengthen transport and trade corridor efficiency. Selected core comparative indicators are also provided for additional information and guidance.The following main conclusions have been drawn:1. All 11 shortlisted corridors are attractive for investments.2. The largest benefits are expected from interventions in transport infrastructure and accessibility.3. The investments in reducing carbon footprint and preserving biodiversity also appear quite promising.4. The most challenging area for intervention seems to be digitalisation. Synergies with investments in transport and accessibility could be exploited, to reduce the cost of digitalisation interventions.5. The challenges in boosting productivity appear as the most diverse ones and need to be further assessed by corridors, areas and sectors. A potential high-productivity cluster is identified in Western Africa.6. Large urban agglomerations and major transport and logistics infrastructure entities often demonstrate different intervention profiles from the remaining wide corridor area. Additional in-depth studies are needed to better understand their specific challenges, opportunities and trade-offs."