Business executives, financiers, and development leaders have called for stronger regional coordination, harmonized trade rules, and integrated infrastructure planning across Africa, arguing that fragmented systems continue to slow investment and intra-African trade.
The calls were made during a high-level discussion on transport and logistics corridors at the Africa CEO Forum in Kigali, where leaders framed transport connectivity as central to Africa’s industrialization and economic integration.
Speakers said Africa’s future growth will depend not only on building roads, ports, and waterways, but also on creating common regulatory frameworks that allow goods, services, and capital to move more efficiently across borders.
Diane Karusisi, Chief Executive Officer of Bank of Kigali, said African countries must align priorities and cooperate more effectively if regional trade corridors are to succeed.
“We have to ensure that we know what we want collectively and how we connect to neighboring countries,” she said, stressing that regional infrastructure cannot be approached through isolated national strategies.
Karusisi noted that many African transport routes, rivers, and logistics systems cross several countries, making coordination and shared governance critical.
She pointed to Rwanda’s own efforts to improve trade efficiency through digitization and one-stop border posts. She coordinated customs systems, saying such reforms helped reduce cargo transit time from 14 days to three days.
“I think it is proof that geography is not destiny,” she said. “You can still reduce friction for businesses trying to import and export.”
She added that Rwanda increasingly views itself as “land-linked rather than landlocked” because of its role in connecting regional markets.
Adeline Gabillaud, Regional Director for Africa at CMA CGM Group, said the private sector remains ready to finance and expand logistics infrastructure across the continent. Still, inconsistent regulations continue to discourage large-scale investment.
“Operational barriers, governance issues, integration and financing challenges remain significant,” she said. “This has to be a real partnership between governments and the private sector.”
She argued that Africa’s logistics future will depend on governments creating predictable, business-friendly regulatory environments that support long-term infrastructure investments.
Meanwhile, Ousmane Dione said Africa possesses major untapped potential in inland waterways and transport corridors, but lacks the institutions needed to manage them effectively at a continental scale.
According to Dione, better corridor development could accelerate industrialization, trade, and job creation across Africa, particularly under the African Continental Free Trade Area framework.
“It will require thinking in a much more integrated way, building stronger coordination mechanisms and putting in place effective institutions,” he said.
The discussion reflected growing pressure from African business leaders for governments to move beyond fragmented national infrastructure planning toward a more connected continental trade system that can support Africa’s economic transformation.
