[Kenya] UN Economic Commission for Africa inaugurates LAPPSET Business Council

The UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) recently spearheaded the establishment of the Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia Transport (LAPSSET) Business Council to facilitate the participation of the private sector in the implementation of the corridor programme.

Under the name LAPSSET Business Council, the Council brings together representatives from the private sectors of Ethiopia, Kenya and South Sudan. The Council, established in fulfillment of the decisions of the ministerial council meetings held in Mombasa and Addis Ababa, was inaugurated during a private sector retreat organized by the ECA and hosted by the NEPAD/APRM Kenya Secretariat and the LAPPSET Secretariat.

In his remarks, Adeyinka Adeyemi, Senior Advisor in the Regional Integration and Trade Division (RITD) of ECA said as key partner to governments, the LAPSSET Business Council will be the premier advocacy arm and platform for private sector cooperation and engagement in order to accelerate the implementation of the project’s expected outcomes including seamless connectivity, new jobs and a transformative infrastructure.

Participants extensively deliberated and agreed upon the objectives, functions and governance structure of the LAPPSET Business Council to effectively advocate for the African business interests of the private sector in the continent.

“Over the next few weeks, a transitional committee of nine, led by ECA, will fine-tune the institutional arrangements of the LAPSSET Business Council,” Mr. Adeyemi noted.

He underlined that the retreat’s outcome will feed into the deliberations of the LAPSSET Ministerial Council Meeting.

The retreat, organized by the African Trade Policy Centre (ATPC) of ECA, was attended by about 50 representatives of the private sector, agencies and ministries from Ethiopia, Kenya and South Sudan.

The LAPSSET Corridor Program is a regional flagship project intended to provide transport and logistics infrastructure aimed at creating seamless connectivity between the Eastern African Countries of Kenya, Ethiopia and South Sudan. The project connects a population of 160 million people in the three countries. Additionally, the LAPSSET Corridor is part of the larger land bridge that will connect the East African coast from Lamu Port to the West coast of Africa at Douala Port.

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