The objective of the Report is to develop a Regional Trade Policy Guideline for Cross-border Infrastructure based on lessons and evidence drawn from Africa’s regional blocks. The study shows that Africa’s trade facilitating cross-border infrastructure programs can be successful if there are systematic approaches and prioritized strategies under a corridor development framework. Cross-border infrastructure which includes ports, roads, railway networks and border posts and customs infrastructure is critical to trade facilitation and yet remains largely underdeveloped in Africa. A key challenge observed has been capacity needed for the development of cross-border infrastructure, one of the most important being capacity to access financing. In this regard, the analysis carried out shows that the lack of technical capacity and skills for project preparation is one of the key bottlenecks in implementing cross-border infrastructure projects. Some of the skills for infrastructure development require lawyers, engineers, project finance specialists, and industry experts.
