One year of ISM: Supporting the African Union Commission (AUC) to lead Africa’s road transport governance and corridor development agenda.

One year on, the Infrastructure Support Mechanism (ISM) is delivering targeted technical assistance to help the African Union Commission (AUC) lead Africa’s road transport governance and corridor development agenda. NTU International A/S is delivering this 3-year technical assistance with a core team of highly experienced Transport Sector Specialists integrated into the African Union Commission (AUC) Headquarters in Addis Ababa.

Funded by the European Union and implemented by NTU, ISM supports the AUC in translating continental priorities under PIDA, Agenda 2063 and the EU–Africa Global Gateway into coordinated action.

Key highlights from our first year include:
- Enhanced AUC capacity on regulation and strategic planning: ISM is supporting the AUC to move from policy commitments to implementation, including operationalising the AU Road Transport Agenda and advancing the continental road transport regulatory framework (CRTF) through structured action planning, legal pathway development and initial drafting of continental instruments.
- Stronger programming and prioritisation of road transport investments: Through corridor-based analysis and project pipeline preparation, ISM is reinforcing the AUC’s role in prioritising road transport interventions aligned with PIDA-PAP2 and global Gateway investment objectives.
- Improved coordination of AU–EU transport priorities: ISM provides technical and coordination support to AU–EU governance structures, including the AU-EU Thematic Working Group on Infrastructure, while also assisting the AUC in engaging development partners and financiers around priority transport corridors.
- Institutional support, visibility and stakeholder engagement: The mechanism supports the AUC in convening and preparing high-level policy and financing dialogues, including the Luanda infrastructure finance summit. In parallel, ISM strengthens linkages with complementary initiatives, including road safety and the mainstreaming of climate, gender and digitalisation across transport interventions.

After its first year, ISM is helping the AUC consolidate its leadership role in road transport governance, investment coordination and partner engagement. Through the next phases of the ISM project, NTU International will continue deepening delivery, strengthening Member State engagement and ensuring that coordinated frameworks translate into safer, more efficient and better-connected transport systems across Africa.