A new continent-wide framework targeting Africa’s seven island nations has been launched, focusing on industrialization, digitalization, transport corridors, artificial intelligence, and the knowledge economy. The initiative is being developed in partnership with the Republic of Korea and under the coordination of the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD).
The programme covers Cabo Verde, the Comoros, Guinea-Bissau, Madagascar, Mauritius, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Seychelles. It was announced during the ministerial segment of the Specialized Technical Committee on Trade, Industry and Minerals (STC-TTIM) in Abidjan.
Collectively, these countries manage an exclusive economic zone exceeding five million square kilometres—larger than the land area of the European Union—yet they lack direct maritime connectivity with one another. Common challenges include small domestic markets, vulnerability to climate change, and limited capacity to process ocean-based resources before export.
AUDA-NEPAD CEO Mrs. Nardos Bekele-Thomas delivers her keynote address during the Seven Island Economies Summit in Abidja
The new AUDA-NEPAD programme aims to address these constraints through a three-tier classification system based on each country’s developmental stage. Support is organized around six pillars: blue economy and ocean stewardship, climate resilience and adaptation, sustainable energy and water, transport connectivity and AfCFTA integration, youth employment and skills, and digital transformation. The roadmap covers the period 2026–2031.
AUDA-NEPAD CEO Mrs Nardos Bekele-Thomas stated that the initiative seeks to position island economies not as peripheral but as strategically placed within Africa’s transformation agenda, with a framework designed to convert geographic dispersion and limited scale into potential advantages.
The programme does not prioritize a single sector but instead promotes a combination of industrialization suited to island resources, integrated maritime and air corridors, digital infrastructure, AI and automation, and investment in knowledge-based sectors. Officials suggest that this multi-pronged approach could help the islands mitigate structural disadvantages.
Delegates attend the Seven Island Economies Summit in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.
The framework was refined during a senior officials’ meeting earlier in the STC week, where national focal points were confirmed and recommendations validated ahead of the ministerial session. Ministers subsequently adopted a communiqué affirming their commitment and inviting external partner support.
In addition to collaboration with the Republic of Korea, the programme involves the African Development Bank (AfDB), regional economic communities, and the Indian Ocean Commission. It was launched alongside the Africa Green Transition PPP Fund, with several island economies already presenting potential green-transition projects for possible financing under that facility.
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