In Defense of Connectivity

I will rarely advocate the construction of new roads — I'd have a long argument that there are enough inter-city roads in North America and Europe now to last us through all time. But the developing world is not so lucky.

The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa has put forward a plan to integrate Africa's hodgepodge of highways into a vast, transcontinental network spanning all but a few countries. It would require filling in a few gaps, and more than a few upgrades, but it could bring a new future to regional trade in Africa.

The legacy of colonial construction links the hinterlands with the ports, and nothing else. A higway network in Africa, like the interstates of the US, would provide mobility necessary for real economic growth.

Unfortunately I see a band of unrest stretching from DR Congo (which, incidentally, has fewer roads per person than any other African country — less paved road than the east-west length of the country) through CAR, Chad and Sudan that essentially isolates northwest and southeast Africa. Let's hope times change to make regional integration a possibility.