Kigali, Rwanda – May 2023 – eWorldwide Group, in collaboration with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), Sub-Regional Office for Eastern Africa, has released a groundbreaking report titled “Enhancing Capacities in Logistics and Transportation for Inland Waterways and Lakes in Eastern Africa: Comparative Analysis Report”.

The report provides an in-depth analysis of the current state of logistics and transportation for inland waterways and lakes in Eastern Africa. It underscores the strategic importance of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) for the sustainable development of Eastern Africa and the crucial role of Inland Waterway Transport (IWT) in implementing AfCFTA.

The comprehensive report identifies key challenges in the sector, including poor IWT infrastructure, lack of multimodal linkage, and lack of policy and legal frameworks. It also highlights the need for collaboration, transparency, trust, ICT maturity, financing, investment, and skills development.
The report concludes with a set of robust recommendations aimed at modernising infrastructure, reforming policies and regulations, fostering collaboration, leveraging advanced technologies, creating jobs, building capacity, and promoting inclusion, climate resilience, crisis resilience, safety, security, and food security. It also emphasises the importance of harmonised policies and streamlining of regulations to ensure the ready flow of free trade.

“We are proud to have led this research,” said Professor Salma Abbasi, CEO of eWorldwide Group. “Our findings provide a roadmap for enhancing the capacities in logistics and transportation for inland waterways and lakes in Eastern Africa. There is a great need to create integrated smart corridors in logistics. Implementing the recommendations in this report will significantly contribute to the green and sustainable development of the region.”

The report is available for download at https://repository.uneca.org/handle/10855/49560.