Minister of Energy Ibrahim Matola has pleaded with the international community to consider African nations as partners in development.
Matola addressed a high-level panel at the Transforming Transportation 2024 event held in Washington DC.
He underlined the urgent need for financial aid for, and investment in, African nations’ transition towards resilient low-carbon transportation systems and the mobilisation of finance without conditions.
“Issues of energy and transport are intertwined. They cannot be separated. When it comes to infrastructure, you give us many pages of conditions to fulfil, and in the end, you label us a risk country where you cannot invest,” the minister charged.
He also stressed the importance of investing in education and innovation, drawing parallels with China and India’s development in the past two decades.
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The minister also pointed out Africa’s “untapped potential”, saying Africans are natural engineers and innovators that require support from the global community.
“We need your investment. Don’t label Africa or Malawi, or the whole continent, as fragile. Yes, there are some fragile States in the continent, but don’t label the continent of Africa or countries in Africa as a whole as fragile,” he said.
Vice President for Eastern and Southern Africa for World Bank, Victoria Kwakwa, said the bank is committed to scaling up finance for low-carbon and resilient transport systems in developing countries.
Co-hosted by the World Bank and the World Resources Institute, the Transforming Transportation event has become one of the largest global conferences dedicated to transport and sustainable development.
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The two-day conference attracted global and transport professionals to explore how stakeholders can mobilise resources for greener, safer and resilient transport for all, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.
