Lerato D. Mataboge

Infrastructure is the connective tissue of our shared economy. On the 18th of March, in Abuja, H.E. Commissioner @LDMataboge and @ecowas_cedeao President, H.E. Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, held a strategic dialogue to accelerate West Africa’s infrastructure and mobility under PIDA PAP2. 🧵👇

🌍 Happening Now!  The PIDA Steering Committee Meeting is currently underway in Abuja, Nigeria, as the African Union flagship Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA) marks 14 years of advancing regional infrastructure integration across the continent. The meeting is graced by the presence of H.E. @LDMataboge , Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy of the African Union, alongside representatives from @NEPAD_Agency , the African Development Bank Group (@AfDB_Group ), the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (@ECA_OFFICIAL), and the Regional Economic Communities, including @ecowas_cedeao, East African Community (@jumuiya), CEN-SAD, Southern African Development Community Secretariat (@SADC_News) and COMESA Secretariat (@COMESA_HQ). - Day 1 focuses on reviewing progress in implementing PIDA PAP2 and advancing preparations for the upcoming PIDA Mid-Term Review. - Day 2 will bring together the Regional Economic Communities to review the progress of PIDA PAP2 projects across Africa’s regions and strengthen coordination to accelerate implementation at the member-states level. Over the past decade, PIDA has emerged as Africa’s premier continental framework for regional infrastructure development, catalysing major investments across transport, energy, ICT, and transboundary water sectors. Under the first phase of implementation, over 16,000 km of roads, more than 4,000 km of railway lines, and over 3,500 km of power transmission lines have been developed or upgraded across the continent, significantly strengthening regional connectivity. Building on these achievements, the second Priority Action Plan (PIDA PAP2) for 2021–2030 includes 69 priority regional infrastructure projects with an estimated investment value of about USD 161 billion, aimed at accelerating integration, supporting the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and driving sustainable economic growth across Africa. As PIDA enters a critical stage with the upcoming Mid-Term Review, this meeting provides an important opportunity for regional stakeholders to pause and assess progress, build on what is working well, and address the critical challenges affecting the achievement of accelerated infrastructure delivery across the continent. #PIDA #AfricanUnion #Agenda2063 #Africa #PIDA_PAP2

Amb. @sarjohbah3, AU Permanent Rep’ to China 🇨🇳, held an online meeting with Ms. @LDMataboge, Commissioner @au_ied, to discuss Africa's energy security, strategic engagement with China in energy & infrastructure, the co-hosting of the 3rd China-Africa Energy Project Promotion 1/4

Great to meet with H.E. @LDMataboge, Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy at the @_AfricanUnion, to discuss strengthening cooperation with the African Union Commission to advance Africa’s digital future.   We spoke about the role of digital infrastructure in accelerating the African Continental Free Trade Area #AfCFTA and collaboration to expand universal and meaningful connectivity, support early warning systems that help safeguard communities across the continent.

Today at the @_AfricanUnion we celebrated women at the frontlines of what we do - our cleaning staff and security personnel, our administration staff and managers; our hospitality personnel and all levels of women who make Africa better in their day to day work. We thank each and everyone of them for their commitment. A happy International Women’s Day!! #agenda2063 #africa

A message from H.E. Commissioner @LDMataboge Commemorating International Women's Day: "As we reflect on International Women’s Day, I want to take a moment to acknowledge the profound impact women have across every facet of our society. The reality is that everybody’s work is hard work, and we must honour each other at all levels of the evolution that we are in. Whether driving community resilience, leading corporate innovation, or managing the unseen labour of the home, women consistently demonstrate what it means to be the ones 'in the arena.' "In the face of structural hurdles and daily criticisms, women remain the steadfast architects of Africa’s progress. We must always remain proud of this courage and the vital contributions we make to the strength of our continent. "This brings us to a critical truth we often repeat in our meetings: we are only as strong as our weakest link. When we look at the physical and digital environments around us, women are too often left as that vulnerable link, not by a lack of capability, but by a lack of access. "When a community lacks reliable electricity, it is women and girls who bear the disproportionate burden of unsafe environments and time-consuming, hazardous domestic chores. When broadband is unaffordable or digital networks are fragmented, it is women-owned micro-enterprises that are locked out of the digital economy. Infrastructure is not gender-neutral; it is the very foundation upon which a woman’s opportunity to thrive, or merely survive, is decided. "That is why our mandate within the Department of Infrastructure and Energy is so fundamentally tied to women's empowerment. Whether we are advancing a Continental Fibre Backbone to ensure affordable digital inclusion, or integrating our power systems to deliver clean, reliable energy to every household, we are building the frameworks that allow women to participate fully and safely in the economy. "True continental sovereignty is impossible without an infrastructure that serves everyone equitably. To all the women shaping our union and our continent: thank you for your resilience, congratulations on your tireless work, and Happy International Women’s Day." #InternationalWomensDay #IWD2026 #WomenInInfrastructure #DigitalInclusion #AfricanUnion #Agenda2063 #Africa

Bilateral Meeting with the Internet Society 26 February 2026, African Union Headquarters, Addis Ababa H.E. @LDMataboge, African Union Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy, held a strategic bilateral meeting with Dr Dawit Bekele, Regional Vice President for Africa at the Internet Society (ISOC). The engagement highlighted significant past achievements in advancing Africa’s digital development, including the successful AXIS Project, which strengthened Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) across 30 African countries. To accelerate the implementation of the AU's Digital Transformation Strategy for Africa (2020–2030), discussions focused on deepening collaboration to address evolving digital priorities. Key areas proposed for enhanced partnership include: •⁠  ⁠Expanding IXPs and RIXPs: Strengthening national and Regional Internet Exchange Points to enhance cross-border traffic exchange, lower connectivity costs, and advance regional digital sovereignty. •⁠  ⁠Infrastructure Sharing: Developing continental guidelines for the shared use of fibre, data centres, and cross-border backhaul to reduce investment duplication. •⁠  ⁠IPv6 Deployment: Providing technical assistance and capacity-building for IPv6 migration to future-proof Africa’s Internet infrastructure. •⁠  ⁠Bridging the Last Mile: Mobilising resources for rural connectivity initiatives to meaningfully connect underserved communities. The meeting concluded with a mutual commitment to formalise the next phase of collaboration, with clear milestones to ensure effective execution and a secure, resilient, and globally connected Internet for everyone in Africa. #AfricanUnion #InternetSociety #ISOC

Strategic Engagement on Energy for Africa's Industrial Growth On 26 February 2026, H.E. @LDMataboge, African Union Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy, held a strategic bilateral meeting with H.E. Tatyana Dovgalenko, Director of the Department for Partnership with Africa of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. The engagement reinforced that Africa seeks long-term strategic partnerships that support continental integration and industrialisation, rather than purely transactional energy projects. Guided by Agenda 2063 and the African Single Electricity Market (AfSEM), the dialogue focused on building a unified energy market and infrastructure system. Africa’s energy future is about access, integration, industrial power, and strategic positioning. Cooperation in these sectors offers a mutually beneficial pathway that aligns Africa’s development aspirations with Russia’s technological strengths. #AfricanUnion #Agenda2063 #EnergyTransition #AfSEM #NuclearEnergy #CriticalMinerals #Industrialisation #Africa

Join us as we reposition Africa for growth! #Agenda2063 #AfricanUnion #infrastructure #energy

#Africa must shift the needle on bankable projects. I met H.E. Lerato Mataboge, Commissioner @AU_AFREC, to leverage the AU’s convening power and UNDP’s integrator role to unlock value chains and partnerships that advance Africa’s energy, infrastructure & digital agenda.

🌍 African Road Safety Charter to Enter into Force as Mozambique Deposits Instrument of Ratification at #AU Headquarters The #AfricanRoadSafetyCharter has secured the required ratifications and is set to enter into force in 30 days, following the deposit of the Instrument of Ratification by the Republic of Mozambique —🇲🇿 becoming the 15th AU Member State to ratify the Charter. This landmark achievement transforms the Charter from a political commitment into a binding continental legal instrument, strengthening Africa’s unified framework for safer roads and safer mobility. “This ratification is more than a legal milestone — it is a strong political statement to preserve human life and advance Africa’s collective vision of safer roads, safer vehicles, and safer road users.” — H.E. @LDMataboge Commissioner for @au_ied Road traffic crashes claim nearly 250,000 lives every year in Africa and cost around 2% of the continent’s GDP. The African Road Safety Action Plan aims to halve these figures. The African Union celebrates Mozambique’s leadership and commitment to protecting lives and advancing sustainable transport across the continent.//

African Union, AFCONE and OECD Nuclear Energy Agency Sign Landmark MoU to Advance Peaceful Nuclear Energy Development in Africa On the margins of the 39th AU Summit, the @_AfricanUnion , @African Commission on Nuclear Energy (@afconeorg ) and the @OECD_NEA signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to advance the peaceful application of nuclear science and technology for Africa’s socio-economic development. The MoU establishes a structured framework for cooperation on capacity building, regulatory strengthening, research and innovation, and the mobilisation of technical and financial resources in support of Africa’s energy transition and industrialisation agenda. Speaking at the signing ceremony, H.E. Lerato D. Mataboge, Commissioner for African Union Infrastructure & Energy, underscored the strategic significance of the partnership: “Under the leadership of the African Union and guided by Agenda 2063, this Memorandum of Understanding marks a strategic step toward strengthening Africa’s energy sovereignty and advancing the peaceful use of nuclear energy as a catalyst for industrialisation, resilience, and sustainable development across our continent.” Africa supplies a significant share of the world’s mined uranium — around 15–18% — yet contributes less than 1% to global nuclear electricity generation. The partnership aims to help transform this gap into an opportunity for domestic value addition, skills development, and technology transfer. South Africa is the only African country currently utilising nuclear energy, which accounts for about 5% of its electricity generation, with a total installed capacity of 1,854 GW. Egypt is currently in the process of building a 4.8 GW power plant to be completed in 2031. Algeria, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, and Nigeria also have concrete nuclear energy ambitions in the pipeline. The MoU will remain valid for an initial period of three years, with the possibility of renewal subject to review.//

Advancing coordinated action to accelerate Africa’s air transport integration. African Union Commission convened the Second Consultative Meeting on the Accelerated Implementation of the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM), bringing together the African Civil Aviation Commission, AUDA-NEPAD and the AfCFTA Secretariat to further strengthen joint collaboration towards delivering a fully liberalised African air transport market. Held alongside the of #AUSummit2026 llmeeting built on the strong foundation of existing cooperation among the institutions and focused on deepening alignment between aviation, trade and infrastructure policies. Discussions centred on practical pathways to support seamless intra-African connectivity, route development, regulatory compliance, and the mobilisation of investment for priority aviation and logistics infrastructure, in line with Agenda 2063 and Africa’s broader regional integration and industrialisation objectives. “Accelerating SAATM implementation, in close synergy with AfCFTA and our continental infrastructure agenda, is critical to reducing fragmentation, lowering the cost of connectivity, and ensuring that Africa’s integration frameworks translate into concrete benefits for our citizens and economies,” said H.E. Lerato D. Mataboge, Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy. The four institutions agreed to work collaboratively to translate this shared understanding and commitment into coordinated action, ensuring that aviation and trade frameworks mutually reinforce one another in support of African Union Agenda 2063. Specifically, the agreed quadripartite framework is built around the following pillars: Pillar 1 — SAATM Domestication & Compliance Verification (from 26 PIP States to 2027) Pillar 2 — Affordability & Cost Reform (Taxes, Fees and Charges) Pillar 3 — Corridor Route Activation (Passenger & Cargo), linked to AfCFTA and PIDA Corridors Pillar 4 — Facilitation, Visa and Border Modernisation (Demand Stimulation) Pillar 5 — Delivery, Project Preparation & Investment (AUDA-NEPAD as Delivery Arm) Pillar 6 — Financing Architecture, Partner Coordination and Data Control Tower, including APAD (African Programme for Aviation Data)

Africans gathered at the African Union Summit are boldly reimagining the promise and future of our continent. The Reimagining the Promise exhibition continues to spark powerful engagement among delegates from across Africa and the diaspora, reaffirming that the African Renaissance is not a distant dream, but a shared responsibility. A sincere thank you to @Fly_Airlink for ensuring that the Thabo Mbeki Foundation delegation travelled in comfort and arrived ready to contribute meaningfully to this important continental moment. Partnership makes progress possible. @_AfricanUnion

On the margins of the 39th African Union Assembly in Addis Ababa, H.E. @LDMataboge, African Union Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy, held a bilateral meeting with H.E. Elias M. Magosi, Executive Secretary of the Southern African Development Community (SADC). The engagement emphasised the importance of deepening coordination between the African Union Commission (AUC) and SADC to accelerate Africa's infrastructure, energy, transport, and digital connectivity priorities. Commissioner Mataboge highlighted the AUC's ongoing support for Regional Economic Communities (RECs) through flagship initiatives like the African Single Electricity Market (AfSEM), Continental Power Systems Master Plan (CMP), Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA), and the African Renewable Energy Initiative (AREI). She stressed that the continent's robust policy frameworks must now translate into bankable projects, with a focus on mobilising African resources, enhancing regulatory harmonisation, and advancing regional power trading to achieve universal energy access and clean cooking for over 1 billion Africans. Discussions also spotlighted the need to consolidate development corridors for trade facilitation, improve continental connectivity through transport infrastructure, and operationalise the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) to boost air linkages across regions. In his remarks, the Executive Secretary underscored the critical role of energy interconnectivity and diversification to enhance regional resilience, referencing key projects like the Kasumbalesa Border Post to streamline cross-border trade efficiency. The meeting reaffirmed the shared dedication of the AUC and SADC to transforming Africa's energy and infrastructure landscape into engines of industrialisation, energy security, inclusive growth, and regional integration under Agenda 2063. #AfricanUnion #SADC #AfSEM #PIDA #Agenda2063

15 February 2026, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia H.E. @LDMataboge, Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy, held a bilateral meeting with Dr. Sifundo Chief Moyo, Secretary General of the Pan African Postal Union (PAPU). The meeting focused on strengthening the institutional relationship between the AUC and PAPU to accelerate the digital transformation of the postal sector and its contribution to Agenda 2063. Key Highlights - 11th Plenipotentiary Conference: The Secretary General briefed the Commissioner on the upcoming 11th PAPU Plenipotentiary Conference, scheduled for March 25–27, 2026, in Uganda, and extended an invitation for the Commission’s participation. - Institutional Framework: The Secretary General presented the status of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the AUC and PAPU, highlighting its importance in formalising the specialised agency relationship provided for in the PAPU Convention.   - Infrastructure Updates: Updates were provided on the operationalisation of the newly commissioned PAPU Tower in Arusha, which houses the General Secretariat and ICT capacity-building facilities. - Strategic Alignment: Discussions centred on the postal sector's role in driving financial inclusion and bridging the digital divide through the "Smart Post Office" concept and e-government services.   #AfricanUnion #PAPU #PostalServices #DigitalTransformation #FinancialInclusion #Infrastructure #Agenda2063 #SmartPost #DigitalInclusion

H.E. Lerato D. Mataboge, AU Commissioner for Infrastructure & Energy, addressed the High-Level Roundtable on Advancing Strategic Corridors convened by Corporate Council on Africa with the U.S. Department of State, on the margins of the AU Summit. The engagement advanced AU–U.S. cooperation and the operationalisation of the Strategic Infrastructure and Investment Working Group (SIWG) — a joint AU–U.S. platform to de-risk priority projects and facilitate U.S. private sector investment in AU-backed infrastructure. Commissioner Mataboge underscored that under PIDA, strategic corridors are integrated economic lifelines linking transport, power, and digital infrastructure, requiring synchronised delivery between the CMP and the Digital Transformation Strategy. Private capital momentum was reinforced, including by Africa50, highlighting growing investment in transmission and utility-scale infrastructure.

16 February 2026. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia The Sixth AU–UN High-Level Strategic Dialogue on Sustainable Development convened at the African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa, bringing together the African Union and the United Nations under the theme “From Commitment to Delivery.” The Dialogue marked a decisive shift toward tangible, coordinated delivery—strengthening AU–UN strategic coordination in line with UNGA Resolution A/RES/79/329. Crucially, the meeting prioritised the development pillar of the partnership, agreeing to protect and build upon this work to safeguard Africa’s centrality amid global reform dynamics. Key Outcomes: •⁠ ⁠G20 & Financing: Discussions highlighted the importance of recent G20 outcomes, acknowledging that Africa has successfully pushed the boundaries on global inequality and the cost of capital. This momentum is vital for scaling implementation across integrated infrastructure, energy transition, and digital public infrastructure.  •⁠ ⁠⁠Roadmap for Implementation: To move beyond rhetoric, the meeting agreed to develop a dashboard with defined metrics. This tool will map achievements and outline a clear roadmap for implementation, reflecting what success looks like over a 10-year horizon.  •⁠ ⁠Next Steps: A dedicated working group of College-to-College counterparts will be established to prepare for the next reporting meeting, ensuring a results-oriented trajectory for 2026.

Unlocking Africa’s AI Potential AUC Collaborates with Google On February 17, 2026, at the African Union Headquarters, H.E. @LDMataboge, Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Google, solidifying a partnership dedicated to "AI for Government: Strengthening Digital Public Infrastructure, Education, and Climate Resilience". This collaboration marks a decisive step towards Africa’s digital future, focusing not just on technology adoption but on building sovereign capacity. Guided by the African Union's Continental AI Strategy and the Digital Transformation Strategy (2020-2030), the partnership prioritises: - Skilling: Launching an AI training initiative for African public officials to enhance service delivery and governance. - Education: Providing access to Gemini tools for educators to support digital literacy across Member States. - Innovation: Ensuring Africa shifts from being a consumer of AI to an architect of its own solutions, with the potential to add up to USD 1.5 trillion to the continent’s economy by 2030. Crucially, the ceremony was witnessed by young African innovators, who engaged directly with the signatories to ensure their perspectives shape the implementation of this agreement. Their presence underscores a central pillar of the partnership: empowering the generation that will drive Africa’s digital transformation. As Commissioner Mataboge noted to the students present, "Today's signing is a symbol of partnership. But tomorrow's success will depend on your participation." Commissioner Mataboge emphasised that this partnership is critical for building the infrastructure, talent, and ethical frameworks necessary to ensure that the benefits of the AI revolution leave no one behind. #AfricanUnion #Google #AIforAfrica #DigitalTransformation #Agenda2063 #Innovation #GovTech #Infrastructure

Last week I had the privilege of supporting H.E. President Hakainde Hichilema @HHichilema and his government in advancing Zambia’s energy priorities for the nation and for the region. Zambia is the backbone of the Southern African Power Pool, and can enable the necessary interconnectors and transmission lines for an African Single Electricity Market in our lifetime. The African Union will continue to mobilise for Zambia’s and SADC’s energy security. #agenda2063 #energy #infrastructure #CEIIF