Africa’s re-enchantment with big infrastructure

Abstract

Since the mid-1990s, Africa has experienced a re-enchantment with the transformative effects of investments in ports, roads, railways and, to some extent, airports. This is reflected in where the World Bank and the African Development Bank place their money, as well as in the heightened profile of China, which is the largest single external investor in infrastructure. This chapter begins by mapping the different regional patterns before addressing the specific question of how far spending has been driven by the requirements of the extractive industries. Whereas petroleum and diamonds are associated with enclave dynamics and infrastructure that is dedicated to extraction – notably pipelines and airports – most mining relies on road and rail that is shared with other users. The second part of the chapter addresses the impact of infrastructural spending on state capacity and whether it is sustainable in the current economic climate. What is often not appreciated is that African governments account for the greatest investments. In effect, this spending comes at the expense of the provision of other public goods. The argument is that while the agenda might appear to be set by external actors, African governments have been adept at retaining control. Public–private partnerships have been much more limited than the World Bank would prefer. Although global logistics companies have played a role in the construction and operation of many seaports, African governments have assigned overall control to semi-autonomous port authorities, which have shown their capacity to flex their muscles. All of this casts doubt on the contention that neoliberal governance involves an attenuation of state sovereignty.

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