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Why Africa's Mega-Projects Fail Before Funding Even Begins

From the Grand Inga Dam to the North-South Corridor, Africa's boldest infrastructure dreams crumble at the first hurdle. The real problem? Not money, but chaos before the first brick is laid.

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The image shows a paper with a map of the Costa D'Angola, with text written on it. The map is detailed, showing the various geographical features of the region, such as rivers, mountains, and cities. The text on the paper provides additional information about the region and its inhabitants.

Why Africa's Mega-Projects Fail Before Funding Even Begins

Africa's infrastructure projects often fail due to poor preparation rather than a lack of funding, according to Michelle Atta-Mills, Deputy CEO of the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF). She highlighted that billions in climate funds and grants remain untapped because many initiatives collapse before reaching the financial planning stage.

Speaking in 2026, Atta-Mills pointed to three major cross-border projects facing persistent delays. The Grand Inga Dam, linking the DRC, Angola, and South Africa, struggles with differing technical and regulatory standards. The West African Power Pool, involving 15 nations including Nigeria, Ghana, and Senegal, faces similar hurdles. Meanwhile, the North-South Corridor, spanning eight countries from South Africa to Kenya, grapples with compliance inconsistencies across borders.

Atta-Mills stressed that many projects never progress beyond early planning. Weak feasibility studies, unclear governance, and inadequate risk assessments often derail initiatives before they attract investors. She proposed reallocating domestic capital, such as pension funds, toward infrastructure to boost local development.

To address these gaps, she recommended stronger partnerships with Development Finance Institutions (DFIs). Early technical support from DFIs could help de-risk projects, making them more attractive to private and public funders. Without such interventions, even well-funded ideas risk stalling at the conceptual stage.

The challenges extend beyond funding shortages, with coordination and standardisation proving critical. Atta-Mills' remarks underscore the need for better project preparation and strategic alliances to unlock Africa's infrastructure potential. Without these steps, major initiatives—including those with cross-border ambitions—will continue to face unnecessary delays.

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