Road infrastructure programme

• Project amount: $66.36 million
• Approval date: July 2019
• Closing date: December 2025

Background Information

Somalia is one of the poorest countries in the world. Decades of civil war have entrenched insecurity and undermined the legitimacy of the state. This has caused vulnerabilities, particularly among the youth, most of whom wish to migrate to find better opportunities abroad, while many engage in criminal activities. Dysfunctional governance systems and dilapidated infrastructure continue to entrench extreme poverty. Frequent droughts and uncontrolled natural calamities due to floods have led to persistent humanitarian food crises that threaten vulnerable people, especially women and children. The transport sector has particularly suffered from unmaintained dilapidating infrastructure, leading to its near disappearance (especially roads) and the weakening of institutions. Hence the need to repair, rebuild, and re-create institutional frameworks. The infrastructure programme will address poor road infrastructure and the lack of sufficient regulatory and technical capacity to oversee reconstruction and preserve the roads.

Involved partners

The federal ministry of public works, reconstruction and housing (MPWR&H); road infrastructure agencies in Puntland, Galmudug, Hirshabelle, Jubbaland, South West and Somaliland, European Union, African Development Bank, and the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation.

Project objectives

The project’s overall development objective is to support and improve Somalia’s economic growth by providing reliable, cost effective, and enhanced transport facilities, to improve accessibility to services and transportation of persons and goods which will support economic and social development, as well as improving the stability of the country.

Project components

Component 1: Civil works

Activities include the rehabilitation and construction of:

• Beled Weyne-Galkayo existing 327km, 7.3m wide paved road
• Galkayo-Garowe existing 240km, 7.3m wide paved road
• Galkayo-Hobyo 241km, 7.3m wide feeder road
• Luuq, Ganane-Dolow existing 80km, 7.3m wide earth road

Component 2: Capacity building and technical assistance for the Federal MPWR&H and infrastructure ministries in the Federal Member States of Galmudug, Hirshabelle, Jubaland, Puntland and South West States.

Component 3: Consultancy services

Activities include:

• Preliminary and detailed engineering design of the four priority roads
• Feasibility study of 280km Lowyaddo-Farddaha-Borama road
• Supervision of civil works under component 1
• Technical and financial audits, road safety audit and sensitization: community awareness-raising on HIV/AIDS; human trafficking sensitization and ESMP implementation.

Component 4: Project management

This includes consultancy project management, communication and visibility, baseline data collection and periodic monitoring of socio-economic development impact, monitoring and evaluation, and operations costs.

Component 5: Compensation and resettlement:

This includes compensation and resettlement of people displaced or affected by the projects, and the provision of social infrastructure.

Geographical coverage

The programme will cover targeted sub-regions of Jubaland, Puntland, Galmudug, Hirshabelle, South West and Somaliland.

Project beneficiaries

The direct beneficiaries of the project include communities, road users, businesses, traders, farmers, transporters and regional governments in the target areas of Jubaland, Puntland, Galmudug, Hirshabelle and Somaliland.

Somalia as a whole is an indirect beneficiary of the project, since it will benefit from connectivity, reduced travel time, transport costs and better quality of life. The project will also provide employment opportunities for women and youth; and the project communities will benefit from improved environment and economic activities.