Strategic corridors are transport, trade and investment routes that link ports, towns, production centres and markets at national and regional level. In Africa, these corridors are a driving force behind regional economic integration and sustainable development.

Since 2021, the European Union has been investing in twelve strategic corridors across the continent as part of its Global Gateway strategy. The aim is to strengthen connectivity between Africa and Europe and to develop more sustainable and efficient infrastructure. Transport plays a central role here, given that more than 80 per cent of African trade is maritime.

For Enabel, a corridor is not merely a piece of infrastructure or a trade route: it is a catalyst for economic and regional transformation.

African ports are still largely associated with an extractive model and export raw materials to China, the European Union and the United States while importing finished goods manufactured outside Africa. Development corridors aim to reverse this trend: They create the conditions to enable investors to capitalise on local processing and serve regional markets with value-added African products, whilst strengthening ties with Europe.

Through its long-standing presence in partner countries, Enabel ensures that these investments genuinely benefit local communities, towns and economies. This approach links transport, trade, governance, economic development, urbanisation and environmental sustainability. Ports play a central role in this vision as gateways for African trade; the cities situated along the corridors, for their part, are the economic drivers and sources of employment.

Strategic priorities

Efficient and sustainable transport systems

Efficient transport infrastructure and services help to reduce logistics costs, facilitate the movement of people and goods, and strengthen regional trade. Enabel assists its partners in improving port performance, integrating the various modes of transport – road, rail, river and sea – within a single journey, and urban mobility.

In Benin, Enabel has worked with the Autonomous Port of Cotonou since 2019 to improve its performance, strengthen its integration in logistics chains and enhance its role as a regional economic driver.
 

Facilitating trade and streamlining trade flows

Infrastructure can only have its full impact if it is accompanied by effective procedures. Enabel supports reforms that simplify and harmonise customs procedures, reduce non-tariff barriers and improve the exchange of data between government digital systems. In Tanzania, the agency works in particular with the customs authorities and stakeholders along the Dar es Salaam–Kigoma corridor to facilitate the movement of goods along this strategic regional route.

Particular attention is paid to small businesses, to ensure that regional integration benefits as many people as possible.
 

Governance and the digital transformation of corridors

The corridors span several countries, involve numerous public and private stakeholders and require close coordination between the local, national and regional levels. Enabel supports governance mechanisms, whilst assisting with the digitisation of transport systems, logistics platforms and public administrations to streamline trade and enhance transparency.

Also, analytical and decision-support tools are developed that enable public and private partners to plan their investments more effectively and to shape public policy on an evidence-based basis. The aim is to transform transport corridors into development corridors that deliver sustainable economic, social and environmental benefits.
 

Economic development, skills and employment

The performance of a corridor is also measured by its ability to generate economic opportunities along its route. Enabel supports the identification and preparation of investment projects, the development of value chains and the mobilisation of the private sector, in conjunction with the corridor cities, which are the main economic drivers, employment hubs and centres of innovation.

The agency also assists local authorities with spatial planning and the development of port-city-corridor links. Enabel thus contributes to skills development and local entrepreneurship by tailoring its training programmes to the needs of the transport, logistics, manufacturing and green sectors. This approach aims to maximise local economic benefits and enhance the appeal of these regions to investors.
 

Green transition and climate resilience

Corridors are a key driver for accelerating the transition to low-carbon economies that are more resilient to climate change. Enabel supports the mainstreaming of environmental issues into infrastructure and investment planning, promotes low-emission transport solutions and supports the development of sustainable supply chains.

The agency also supports the conservation of key ecosystems and the development of economic activities that are compatible with climate objectives. The initiatives undertaken in the Dar es Salaam–Kigoma corridor relating to electromobility and in the Kivu–Kinshasa green corridor illustrate this ambition to reconcile economic development, innovation and the conservation of natural resources.

Services

• Support for governance and coordination of the corridors.
• Capacity building for transport, trade and logistics institutions.
• Technical assistance to port authorities and corridor management bodies.
• Support for trade facilitation and the modernisation of customs procedures.
• Studies and performance assessments of transport corridors.
• Spatial, logistics and port planning.
• Development of port-city-corridor interfaces.
• Digitisation of transport and trade systems.
• Identification and preparation of investment projects.
• Making use of Belgian and European public expertise.
• Development of public-public and public-private partnerships.
• Strengthening value chains, skills and employment along the corridors.

Contact persons : Jean-Christophe Charlier & Denis Dubuisson