Sisi Wins AfDB Great Road Builder Award

Taarek Refaat

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi won the Babiker Ndiaye Great Road Builder Award, which is a prize for heads of states that initiate their countries with outstanding projects or achievements in terms of road development, transportation and mobility.

The awards will be presented at the closing conference of the Africa Road Builders, which is organized every year on the sidelines of the annual meetings of the African Development Bank (AfDB).

Sisi was honored for his leadership in developing and building projects in Cairo such as Heliopolis Metro Station, as well as the Suspension Bridge project, spokesman for the selection committee of the Africa Road Builders George Orido said during a virtual meeting of the group.

The Africa Road Builders Conference brings together representatives and stakeholders from the road and transport sectors every year to promote road development, transport and mobility in Africa. This year’s theme is “Roads and transportation to improve the quality of life for people in Africa.”

Ivorian President Alassan Ouattara and President of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Akinome Addisina have also received special awards for their outstanding contribution to the field of road infrastructure.

"Road transport is a critical enabler of productivity and sustainable social and economic growth. Over the past 12 years, the bank has funded more than $ 8 billion in regional transportation projects. As a result, approximately 13,000 km of regional highways have been built on 17 lanes of roads, along with 26 one-stop central border installations," Solomon Quaynor, the Bank’s Vice President.

Fouad Safar, director of transport and infrastructure studies at the National Bureau for Studies and Development in Côte d'Ivoire, said that the challenges to be faced include the balance between urban development in Africa and transport development, strengthening the professionalization of transport, renewing vehicles fleets, promoting and restructuring transport networks.

"The most expensive capital in Africa is road infrastructure. Without proper and timely maintenance, the roads deteriorate. So it is not just about building, but also about maintaining a financing model for road maintenance," said Mamadou Faye, Administrator of the Senegalese Autonomous Road Maintenance Fund (FERA).

The awards were inspired by Babacar Ndiaye, who was the bank’s president from 1985 to 1995. Every year, the Road Builders Selection Commission in Africa carefully evaluates ambitious and concrete projects that have a real impact on mobility and transportation.