WEBINAR: Good roads connect us all. But who should pay for them?

Every day, we rely on roads. They take us to work, bring food to our tables, connect businesses to customers, children to schools, and patients to hospitals, and open entire countries to economic opportunity. Yet few of us stop to ask a simple question: who should pay for good roads? Should it be governments, taxpayers, road users, or the industries whose heavy vehicles accelerate pavement wear and tear? As roads face increasing damage from extreme weather events, what role can climate and adaptation finance play? How should development partners and the private sector contribute? Across Africa, billions of dollars have been invested in building road networks. Too often, however, roads deteriorate faster than they are maintained, driving up transport costs, increasing travel times, raising the risk of road crashes, and limiting access to economic opportunities. The reality is that roads are not free; someone always pays, whether through fuel levies, tolls, taxes, public budgets, freight charges, private investment, or ultimately through higher prices for goods and services. But the question goes beyond who pays. Perhaps the most important question of all is whether we are paying enough to preserve the roads we already have. As part of the new "Good Roads Connect Us All" webinar series, on June 30, 2025, the Africa Transport Policy Program (SSATP) brought together senior government officials, road financing experts, private sector representatives, and development partners for a structured debate on road financing across the continent. Drawing on lessons from 15 African countries, the discussion went beyond technical considerations to examine questions that affect us all. Our distinguished panelists included: -- Mr. Jean-Louis Billon, Former Minister of Commerce of Cote d'Ivoire and Chief Executive Officer, SIFCA Group -- Mrs. Joseta Neufville-Wento, Chief Executive Officer, National Road Fund of Liberia -- Dr. Maurice Niaty-Mouamba, Commissioner for Spatial Planning and Infrastructure, Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) -- Mr. Allan Munyua, African Infrastructure Investment Expert, former Director of Meridiam East Africa Among the key questions discussed: -- Who benefits most from good roads, and who should contribute most to their upkeep? -- Are current road financing systems fair and sustainable? -- Should major industries contribute more to maintaining the infrastructure on which they depend? -- What role can tolls, fuel levies, road funds, and public budgets play? -- Can climate finance and adaptation funds help protect roads from increasing climate risks? -- How do we ensure that future generations inherit road networks that are safe, resilient, and affordable?