Johannesburg, South Africa, 30 April 2026 (ECA) - Ministers from across Africa have approved continental frameworks on transport and energy, including frameworks on energy security, electric mobility, and aviation resilience, all of which the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) played a central role in developing. The decisions were adopted at the 5th Ordinary Session of the African Union Specialized Technical Committee (STC) on Transport and Energy, held from 27–30 April 2026 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Convened under the theme The Africa We Build: Transport and Energy as Catalysts for Africa's Prosperity, the session brought together AU member states, regional economic communities, and continental institutions including the African Union Commission (AUC), the African Development Bank (AfDB), and AUDA-NEPAD.
Speaking at the opening of the Experts Meeting on 27 April, Mr. Robert Lisinge, Director of ECA's Technology, Innovation, Connectivity and Infrastructure Division (TICID), underlined the urgency of building Africa's energy security and accelerating sustainable transport solutions. He drew the link between reliable energy infrastructure and the continent's broader ambitions, from transport electrification and digital transformation to reducing logistics costs and unlocking intra-African trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). At the Ministerial Meeting on 30 April, Mr. Lisinge delivered opening remarks on behalf of ECA Executive Secretary Claver Gatete, calling for integrated approaches to energy, transport, and digital infrastructure that drive structural transformation across the continent.
Mr. Yohannes Hailu, ECA's energy expert, presented the Commission's continental and regional energy work during the experts' session. He outlined ECA's lead role in developing the Continental Energy Security Policy Framework, its contribution to the SADC Energy Transition Framework and Action Plan, and its ongoing support to PIDA infrastructure initiatives and PPP capacity-building across member states. During a special session on nuclear energy, Mr. Hailu presented analysis on economic and financial barriers to nuclear energy development in Africa and outlined potential policy pathways.
The Ministerial Declaration formally approved the following ECA-led continental instruments:
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The Continental Energy Security Policy Framework and its recommendations
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The Continental Framework on Electric Mobility in Africa
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The Strategy for Strengthening the Resilience of Africa's Aviation Industry
Ministers also issued a series of requests to continental institutions, placing ECA at the center of several key follow-up actions:
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The AUC, ECA, AFREC, AUDA-NEPAD, and RECs to support member states in implementing the Continental Energy Security Policy Framework;
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The AfDB, in collaboration with AFRAA and ECA, to develop specific financial measures to support the aviation industry;
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AFCAC, working with ICAO, AUC, ECA, AFRAA, Africa CDC and other aviation stakeholders, to develop a harmonized framework for rapid response in the aviation sector;
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AFREC and the AUC, in collaboration with AFCONE, ECA, the Nuclear Energy Agency, and RECs, to develop a continental framework and action plan for nuclear energy deployment for enhanced energy access, security, and development;
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AFREC, in collaboration with the AUC, ECA and partners, to coordinate implementation of the Energy Transition Strategy and Action Plan (ETSAP) and support its domestication across member states for a just and inclusive transition;
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The AUC, AFREC, and ECA to support RECs in developing just energy transition frameworks aligned with the AU Common Position on energy access and transition
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ECA and the AUC, in collaboration with AUDA-NEPAD, AfDB, and the African Legal Support Facility, to establish and institutionalize a biannual PPP Forum for Africa for knowledge exchange, capacity building, and investment mobilization;
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AUDA-NEPAD, AUC, AfDB, ECA and relevant stakeholders to work with the African Social Security Association (ASSA) in developing the ASSA Infrastructure Fund for Africa, ensuring it is structured to effectively support key continental infrastructure and energy initiatives;
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All continental, regional and specialized institutions including AUC, AUDA-NEPAD, AFREC, ECA, AFCAC, AFCAO, AfDB and RECs, to accelerate mobilization of financial and technical resources for the implementation of continental transport, energy and infrastructure programmes.
The outcomes of the 5th STC session mark a significant step in advancing Africa's infrastructure agenda and affirm ECA's role as a key technical and policy partner in shaping the continent's energy and transport future.
Issued by:
Communications Section
Economic Commission for Africa
PO Box 3001
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia
Tel: +251 11 551 5826
E-mail: eca-info@un.org