ACCRA-Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan received on Wednesday in Accra, during the Annual Meetings of the African Development Bank Group, the Great Builder Super Prize-Babacar N'Diaye Trophy for his personal investment in the development and implementation of projects. road, rail and airport services in Tanzania.
The prize was awarded to Mrs. Hassan on the occasion of the Final Conference of The Africa Road Builders, on the sidelines of the Annual Meetings.
“I feel very honored and it is with great humility that I receive this trophy as the first recipient in front of big names of African leaders,” said President Hassan, the only serving female head of state on the continent and first female president in East Africa.
“I am touched by this award bearing in mind that it is not a personal trophy. If anyone is worthy of it, it is my predecessor, former President John Magufuli,” said President Hassan, in tribute to her predecessor, who died in March 2021 during his second term, and who served as Minister transport and public works in several governments before becoming head of state.
"He invested in the development of infrastructure as a minister and intensified investments once president,"testified the one who was the vice-president of Magufuli.
The trophy was presented to Ms. Hassan by Solomon Quaynor, Vice President of the African Development Bank Group in charge of Infrastructure, Industrialization and the Private Sector.
“The African Development Bank is proud of what you are doing for Tanzania. It supports and will continue to support Tanzania for the development of its infrastructure because it is the key to economic and social development,” said Mr. Quaynor.
In its argument for awarding the prize, the Selection Committee emphasizes that Ms. Hassan has invested in the development of the Tanzanian road network through road construction, in particular the launch of the construction of a historic road known as the Dodoma ring road which is to serve the regional markets of Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The president is also involved in the construction of a standard gauge railway line to link the main port of Tanzania to several countries in the hinterland in the region: Burundi, DR Congo and Rwanda. She is looking for funding for this integrative project.
"Mrs. Hassan has supervised all the ongoing (infrastructure) projects and has initiated new ones which she is following with the greatest attention," the committee said.
The African Development Bank, which sponsors the prize, has invested $2.1 billion in Tanzania between 1967 and 2022 in the field of infrastructure to create opportunities, reduce inequalities, create jobs and bring security and better integrate the region from East Africa.
During an official visit in February, the President of the African Development Bank Group, Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina, joined President Hassan to launch the construction of the landmark Dodoma City Outer Ring Road project.
The $214.69 million project is nearly 65% financed by the Bank, or approximately $137.3 million. $41.8 million comes from the Africa Growing Together fund, financed by the People's Bank of China and hosted by the African Development Bank.
Barthélémy Kouamé, curator of The Africa Builders, announced that the inaugural conference of the next edition of the prize will take place in Tanzania.
Each year, the Final Conference of Africa Road Builders meets on the sidelines of the Bank Group's Annual Meetings.
The conference brings together representatives and stakeholders from the road infrastructure and transport sector to encourage the development of road networks, transport and mobility in Africa.
The winner receives his trophy on the occasion. The theme of this year's conference was: “Building Roads: Building Economies”.
These awards were created in honor of Babacar N'diaye, President of the African Development Bank from 1985 to 1995. Each year, the Africa Road Builders Selection Committee carefully assesses ambitious and concrete projects having a real impact on population mobility.
The Babacar N'diaye Africa Road Builders Trophy is organized by Acturoutes, an information platform on infrastructure and the road network in Africa, and by the organization Media for Infrastructure and Financing in Africa (MIFA), a network African journalists specializing in road infrastructure.
The selection committee is made up of media representatives from the five regions of the continent working from media reports and experts on issues related to road networks, transport and sustainable development.