Opening Address
H.E. WORKNEH GEBEYEHU, Ph.D
IGAD EXECUTIVE SECRETARY
High-Level Meeting on Horn of Africa Gateway Development Project
Skylight Hotel, Addis Ababa | 5th June 2025
- Your Excellency Ahmed Shide, Minister of Finance of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.
- Cyrell Wagunda Odede, Principal Secretary of the Ministry of National Treasury and Economic Planning of the Republic of Kenya, Representing Hon. John Mbadi, Cabinet Secretary for National Treasury of Kenya.
- Representatives of Somali Regional State of Ethiopia
- Governor Mohamed Adan Khalif of Mandera, and Deputy Governor Ali Mohamed ofMarsabit.
- Distinguished Ambassadors, World Bank colleagues, and esteemed delegates.
- I am delighted to thank and sincerely appreciate our hosts the government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, represented by the Minister of Finance, Excellency Ahmed Shide
- I equally acknowledge our co-partners in this initiative from the Republic of Kenya under the leadership of the Cabinet Secretary for National Treasury Hon. John Mbadi. To our partners from the World Bank, this transformative initiative would not be possible without you; thank you very much from the bottom of our hearts.
- We convene today at a pivotal moment for regional transformation. The Horn of Africa Gateway Development Project represents our collective commitment to converting geographical proximity into economic prosperity and shared development.
- Our current realities demand urgent action. Cross-border trade between Kenya and Ethiopia remains at merely 284 million dollars annually despite our 861 kilometres shared border.
- This means we are harvesting only 10% of our potential compared to the 2.3 billion dollars trade volume that is already existing between some of our member counties. This is clearly a disparity that clearly reflects the systemic barriers we must collectively address.
Excellencies,
- The Mandera Triangle, long characterized in popular culture as a marginalized area, represents untapped opportunity. Both the Ethiopia and Kenya governments are cognisant of the trade potential between our two nations stand to jointly benefit from the ongoing infrastructure investment that will finally link Isiolo to Mandera, further unlocking the infinite potential of Ethiopia-Kenya trade ties and cementing our historical security partnership stretching back our mutual defence pact established in 1963.
- Our complementary infrastructure investments, including the bridge across River Dawa connecting the Rhamu and Suftu communities, will transform his shared aspiration for regional connectivity. These bridges will reduce healthcare access distances by 50% for border populations, potentially saving thousands of lives annually.
- Digital transformation remains equally critical. Currently, only 23% of the Mandera Triangle has reliable internet access. Our fiber optic backbone from Isiolo through Mandera to Djibouti is projected to achieve 89% coverage by 2028, creating 15,000 digital economy jobs and adding 340 million dollars to our regional GDP.
- Trade facilitation also requires our immediate attention. Current border crossing times average 6.5 hours for cargo trucks. Our One Stop Border Post at Rhamu will reduce this to under 45 minutes, cutting transport costs by 32% and improving regional competitiveness by 18% in international markets.
- Our IGAD Borderlands Initiative further addresses fundamental security challenges. CEWARN research indicates 67% of pastoral conflicts stem from resource competition. Coordinated water and grazing management will transform conflict dynamics into cooperation frameworks.
- Most importantly, our health systems integration tackles cross-border challenges systematically. TB prevalence in border regions exceeds regional averages 230% compared to the rest of our continent. If we are consistent and successful in establishing coordinated treatment protocols, we stand to reduce this problem by 45% by 2030 in line with our regional vision.
Excellencies, dear colleagues;
- Economic projections without doubt, validate our strategic vision for 2030. Full project implementation will increase regional trade by 156%, create 47,000 direct jobs, and lift 230,000 of our citizens from poverty. Our return on this investment is scheduled to stand at 4.2 dollars for every 1 dollar we shall invest over the next 10 years.
- However, infrastructure without integration is ineffective. The Memorandum of Cooperation between Kenya Revenue Authority and Ethiopian Customs Commission requires urgent finalization.
- The One-Stop-Border-Post arrangements demand consensus, and land acquisition frameworks need immediate clarity.
- As a Regional Economic Community, IGAD demonstrates to the African Union and international community that cooperation is superior to competition, and shared prosperity transcends zero-sum calculations.
- Our brothers and sisters in the communities of Rhamu, Suftu, Mandera, and Dollo Ado are not merely beneficiaries, but they are our partners in defining this success. They deserve infrastructure that functions, borders that connect rather than divide, and reap from the opportunities that match our collective aspirations.
Finally, your Excellencies,
- Allow me to assure you that IGAD remains your steadfast partner in convening stakeholders, coordinating systems alignment, and ensuring accountable deliverywhere communities depend on us.
- The bridges we construct across River Dawa will endure beyond our tenure. Future generations will cross them, perhaps wondering why regional connection took so long among communities sharing extensive history, culture, and hope.
- Let us be the leadership that puts these worries of our children to rest; Let us ensure they ask this question while benefiting from our work and inspiring them to build the next generation of physical and intellectual bridges.
- As we say here in Ethiopia, all paths connect eventually. Today, we chosen to build those paths deliberately, purposefully, and together.
Thank you each and every one of you and let us now commence immediately on this transformative work!
