Africa faces a major rural road access challenge, with nearly 60 per cent of its population unable to reach all-weather roads, a gap that continues to limit economic opportunities and access to essential services.
Experts say Rwanda’s experience in expanding rural connectivity offers practical lessons that could help narrow the continent’s rural road deficit.
This message dominated discussions on February 16 at the Regional Conference on Planning Rural Corridors in Africa: Connectivity, Economic Growth and Jobs, held at the Marriott Hotel in Kigali.
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The three-day conference, organised by the World Bank Group in partnership with the Africa Transport Policy Program (SSATP), the European Union, the Africa Transportation Research Alliance and the Government of Rwanda, brought together policymakers, researchers, technical experts and development partners from across Africa.
Rural connectivity as a national priority
Speaking at the event, Minister of Infrastructure Jimmy Gasore said rural connectivity remains central to Rwanda’s development agenda, noting that more than 80 per cent of the population lives in rural areas.
“Ensuring that these communities are well connected to services and economic activity remains a national priority,” Gasore said.
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He pointed to the feeder roads programme and bridge construction as key interventions that have improved livelihoods, while acknowledging that challenges persist.
“Rwanda has done a lot. We have built feeder roads and bridges, but there are still areas where farmers struggle to take agricultural and livestock produce to markets,” he said.
Gasore also highlighted the role of development partners in supporting rural infrastructure, thanking the World Bank Group for its technical and financial support in scaling up rural transport programmes and strengthening institutional capacity.
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He cited initiatives such as Bridge to Prosperity, which has constructed trail bridges in remote areas, improving access to markets, schools and health facilities–especially for women and children.
The minister added that Rwanda is increasingly investing in road maintenance and climate-resilient infrastructure to safeguard these gains.
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Rwanda’s model and Africa’s challenge
World Bank Country Manager for Rwanda, Sahr Kpundeh, described rural roads as economic enablers rather than simple infrastructure.
“Rural roads link people to markets, services and opportunities. They shape agricultural value chains and determine how rural households participate in growth,” he said.
Kpundeh stressed that rural connectivity must be treated as a system, not isolated road segments, highlighting Rwanda’s planning, prioritisation and maintenance practices as lessons for the region.
He said progress depends on three priorities: evidence-based investment decisions, stronger focus on sustainability and resilience, and deeper integration of roads with jobs and local economic development.
“Rural roads deliver their greatest returns when embedded in broader economic systems that support agriculture, logistics, MSMEs and access to services,” he said.
World Bank Regional Practice Manager for Transport in Eastern and Southern Africa, Binyam Reja, said Rwanda remains a key partner in the Bank’s rural connectivity efforts.
He noted the completion of a $119 million International Development Association (IDA) project, co-financed by the United States and the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which delivered feeder roads in 10 districts.
The project reduced transport costs, improved farmers’ access to markets and boosted agricultural productivity, Reja said, while warning that limited access to all-season roads remains a widespread challenge across Africa.