Globally, the connection between infrastructure and development is well established. In both high-income and developing countries, transport systems form the backbone of economic integration, social inclusion, and access to basic services. The World Bank estimates that the net benefit on average of investing in more resilient infrastructure in low- and middle-income countries would be $4.2 trillion, with $4 in benefit for each $1 invested, particularly in agriculture-dependent economies. However, in rural areas across Sub-Saharan Africa, where nearly 60% of the population lives and where agriculture employs over 65% of the labour force, the true game-changer is not the multilane highway or the international airport; it’s the modest, often-unpaved last-mile road.
Despite infrastructural progress in urban capitals, over 300 million Africans still lack access to all-season roads. According to the African Development Bank (AfDB), only 43% of rural Africans live within 2 kilometres of an all-weather road. This is significantly lower than the global average of 90%, and in some remote regions of countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, and Chad, this figure plummets below 20%.
The impact of these missing links in rural road networks is not merely logistical; it is developmental. According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), 30–50% of agricultural produce in Sub-Saharan Africa is lost post-harvest, largely due to poor transport from farms to markets. Additionally, the World Health Organisation (WHO) reports that maternal and infant mortality is disproportionately higher in areas that are more than an hour’s walk from a health facility, with transportation delay being a core barrier.
Why Last-Mile Roads Matter
Last-mile infrastructure refers to the local roads, footbridges, and access paths that link rural homes to the outside world, farms to markets, children to schools, and patients to clinics. It is the difference between a perishable crop making it to market or rotting in the sun, between a child attending school regularly or dropping out due to distance.
In Rwanda, for example, the government’s Feeder Roads Development Program, supported by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), has constructed and rehabilitated over 2,500 kilometres of rural roads since 2014. This has led to an increase in market participation among smallholder farmers, according to IFAD’s 2022 impact assessment. Similarly, Ethiopia’s Universal Rural Roads Access Programme (URRAP) has, since its launch in 2011, connected over 90,000 kilometres of rural roads, dramatically increasing access to healthcare and education in remote villages.
Where the Dust Settles
In northern Ghana’s Upper West Region, where seasonal flooding frequently isolates communities, the construction of simple laterite roads under the EU-Ghana Agriculture Programme has transformed food security outcomes. A 2023 assessment by the Ghana Statistical Service revealed a 25% reduction in post-harvest losses and a 20% increase in school attendance during the rainy season due to road access.
In Malawi, the World Bank-funded Southern Africa Trade and Transport Facilitation Program (SATTFP) improved rural access by rehabilitating over 200 kilometres of community feeder roads. The percentage of women attending prenatal visits increased by 27% in the project zones, directly linked to improved mobility.
PIDA and the Continental Vision for Infrastructure
At the continental level, Africa’s leadership has long recognised that regional and rural integration cannot happen without infrastructure. In 2012, the African Union (AU) launched the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA)—a strategic framework designed to close Africa’s massive infrastructure gap by promoting connectivity in transport, energy, water, and ICT sectors.
While PIDA’s primary focus has been on transboundary and regional mega-projects, its second phase, PIDA PAP II (2021–2030), has deliberately shifted attention toward smaller, people-centred, and job-creating projects, many of which include rural roads and feeder transport corridors. According to the AU Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), over 69% of the 69 priority projects under PIDA PAP II have strong implications for rural economies, with a particular emphasis on gender inclusion, local employment, and access to markets.
African countries are steadily aligning national infrastructure development plans with PIDA’s integrated approach. For instance, Senegal’s Emerging Plan includes rural roads aligned with regional corridors, while Uganda’s Vision 2040 emphasises rural infrastructure that connects communities to health centres and education hubs. Investments in rural connectivity under PIDA-compliant frameworks have already attracted financing from the AfDB, the European Investment Bank, and the World Bank, with cumulative commitments exceeding $8 billion since 2020.
More Than roads.
Globally, the emphasis on inclusive infrastructure is codified in the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 9), which promotes resilient infrastructure, and SDG 3 and 4, which highlight access to health and education. Africa’s own Agenda 2063, working in synergy with PIDA, envisions “an integrated continent with world-class infrastructure.” But for these frameworks to be realised, rural connectivity must be prioritised as the foundation of any national development plan.
Investment in rural roads is not just a transport initiative; it is a policy intersection. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) notes that public investment in infrastructure that supports human development (education, health, agriculture) yields greater inclusive growth than investment in industrial projects alone. This perspective is driving innovative finance models in countries like Kenya, where the government now earmarks a portion of the constituency development fund (CDF) for feeder roads linked to schools and clinics.
Potholes in Policy: The Challenges Ahead
Despite progress, several bottlenecks remain. A 2023 report by the Infrastructure Consortium for Africa (ICA) identifies underfunding, corruption in road contracts, and lack of maintenance planning as key barriers. An estimated $8 billion annually is needed to close Africa’s rural road gap, yet less than 25% of that amount is currently being mobilised.
Maintenance is perhaps the most neglected aspect. Studies show that without routine upkeep, unpaved roads can become impassable within three rainy seasons. Countries like Uganda are now experimenting with community-based maintenance models, where local cooperatives are trained and paid to manage small sections of rural roads, a move that both sustains infrastructure and creates jobs.
What Must Be Done
For Africa to unlock the full potential of its rural economy and human capital, it must treat last-mile connectivity not as a footnote but as a foundation. Governments must integrate rural roads into national agricultural transformation strategies, while development partners and the private sector must coordinate funding and technical expertise for long-term sustainability.
Emerging tools like geospatial mapping and AI-driven road maintenance platforms already in use in parts of Senegal and Nigeria offer data-based planning that can optimise spending and reduce waste. Moreover, involving women and youth in road maintenance could multiply development returns by creating local ownership and employment.
The Silent Revolution Must Get Loud
The real revolution in African infrastructure is not the glamour of high-speed trains or continental highways; it’s in the dust trails of village roads that bridge isolation with opportunity. The future of inclusive growth, health equity, and rural resilience depends on how urgently African countries, and their global partners, invest in and protect these arteries of everyday life.
