Millions of Jobs Ride on Africa's Transport Projects — If Skills and Delivery Catch Up
PIDA’s road, rail, port and energy projects have already created about 162,000 jobs and could generate millions more through construction, operations and related economic activity The sector needs a broad range of workers, from engineers and maintenance technicians to logistics specialists, signaling experts and air traffic controllers Africa will capture. . .
PIDA’s road, rail, port and energy projects have already created about 162,000 jobs and could generate millions more through construction, operations and related economic activityThe sector needs a broad range of workers, from engineers and maintenance technicians to logistics specialists, signaling experts and air traffic controllersAfrica will capture this employment potential only if faster project delivery is matched by technical training better aligned with employers’ needsThe Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA) is one of the main frameworks supporting the continent’s economic integration agenda. Formally adopted by African Union heads of state and government in 2012, the program has since been managed by the African Union Development Agency, or AUDA-NEPAD. The agency was established in July 2018 at the Nouakchott summit, replacing the former NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency. In practice, PIDA is implemented in phases known as Priority Action Plans (PAPs). The first phase, PAP1, covered the 2012-2020 period and mobilized about $82 billion across 433 projects, according to AUDA-NEPAD. The second, PAP2, runs through 2030 and focuses on 69 projects considered to have the greatest impact. Together, the two phases shape the development of Africa’s major road, rail, port and energy corridors. Employment Potential Runs into the MillionsPIDA projects are already generating jobs, and available estimates point to much greater potential. By 2023, the projects had created about 162,000 jobs, according to AUDA-NEPAD. These figures appear in a 2025 report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development covering 94 projects across 34 countries. The report estimates that the construction, operation and maintenance of those projects could generate an additional 15 million jobs. The North-South Corridor, which comprises 16 projects across eight countries, shows how large the employment impact could be. The corridor is expected to create 4. 5 million jobs over its lifetime. About 130,000 indirect jobs could also emerge, particularly in agribusiness, mining and trade. The employment impact extends well beyond drivers and maintenance workers. Demand is also growing for engineers, signaling technicians, air traffic controllers, logistics specialists and corridor managers. Two recent examples illustrate the growing diversity of workforce needs. The Lobito rail corridor links Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia. Its concessionaire, Lobito Atlantic Railway, employs 945 people locally along the railway’s 1,289-kilometer section in Angola, where Angolan nationals account for 97% of the workforce. In Morocco, the National Airports Office recently launched a recruitment campaign for 47 skilled positions. The recruitment drive is part of its “Airports 2030” strategy and covers electromechanical engineering, civil engineering and airport operations. The two examples illustrate the widening range of skills required across the sector. A Persistent Shortage of Skilled WorkersThat potential, however, faces a recurring obstacle: a persistent shortage of certified technical skills. According to the International Labour Organization, road transport, rail and civil aviation require workers across a wide range of occupations. In several countries, however, technical training programs remain poorly aligned with the skills transport operators and employers actually need. As a result, engineering, maintenance technician and qualified controller positions often take a long time to fill locally. Many countries still do not train enough workers to meet demand. In response, AUDA-NEPAD launched the Skills Initiative for Africa, or SIFA. According to its 2025 annual report, the initiative mobilized more than $100 million. The funding supports 48 technical and vocational training projects across the continent. The initiative is part of a broader program focused on Africa’s demographic dividend and aims to narrow the gap between available skills and those required by major infrastructure projects, including transport projects. A similar model is being used along the Lobito Corridor. According to the European Commission, the project includes a technical training component alongside its rail and energy investments. By linking infrastructure financing with workforce training, the project addresses both construction needs and the shortage of skilled labor. Such integrated programs, however, remain the exception rather than the norm across Africa. This is happening as the gap between the number of people entering the labor market and the number of formal jobs available remains wide. Between 10 million and 12 million young Africans enter the labor market each year, yet only about 3 million formal jobs are created annually, according to data cited by the International Labour Organization in July 2025 as part of its partnership with the African Development Bank. PAP2 could make a modest contribution to narrowing that gap if its projects move into implementation more quickly. Meeting its employment targets by 2030 will depend on faster project delivery. As more PAP2 projects enter implementation, Africa’s transport sector could become a significant source of formal employment. For that to happen, however, investment in infrastructure will need to be matched by a rapid expansion of technical training across the continent. Félicien Houindo Lokossou