Arteries of Progress: Eritrea’s Transport and Communications Sectors Drive National Development

Over the three and a half decades since independence, Eritrea has undertaken major efforts to rebuild and modernize its transport and communication sectors, transforming them into essential foundations for national development, economic activity, and social integration. Emerging from a period of severe infrastructural depletion, the country pursued a strategic approach aimed at creating a more integrated national system capable of improving connectivity and ensuring equitable access to services throughout the nation.

In this regard, after the independence of the country, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications was tasked with coordinating and managing all modes of transportation (Land, Air and Sea) as well as conducting the requisite regulatory supervision of all these subsectors.

Significant progress has been achieved in public transportation, particularly in connecting rural and previously hard to reach areas. After independence, through road construction and rehabilitation projects, transportation services expanded into regions that had limited access during the colonial periods. Accordingly, the expansion of road network routes from only 26 in 1991 to 342 today, has improved accessibility across the country. In brief, transport routes have grown exponentially by 1,215%; bus services by 613%; daily passenger capacity by 857%; and taxi services by 760%.  In terms of aggregate investment; the figures for Rural Transport Investment stand at 626 million Nakfa while total financial outlays for Urban Transport Investment amount to 385 million Nakfa.

Freight and liquid transportation have also become central to Eritrea’s economic infrastructure by facilitating the movement of goods, fuel, and commodities between production centers, markets, and ports. Considerable investments helped expand transport capacity, although maintaining an aging vehicle fleet remains a challenge due to shortages of spare parts and technical constraints.

Current Status of Freight and Logistics

Indicator	Current Status
Government investment	Over 1.1 billion Nakfa
Freight and liquid transport vehicles	15,000
Dry cargo capacity	82,000+ tons
Liquid transport capacity	238,000 m³/day

 

Road safety and regulation have received increased attention through policy reforms, studies, and safety initiatives. Mandatory vehicle inspections, traffic management systems, and improvements in road safety infrastructure have been introduced to address transportation challenges and reduce accidents.

Equally significant progress has been achieved in Eritrea’s communication sector. Following independence, telecommunications systems were largely non-functional, requiring emergency measures to restore international connectivity. To overcome the problem, the Government made huge investment to the tune of over 35 billion Nakfa, over the 35 years of independence.

Indeed, although there are still critical challenges and bottlenecks in terms of wider access and affordability, substantial efforts have been made towards the expansion of telephone and internet services across the country. The considerable investments made so far have gone a long way in the incremental modernization of the national network through landline upgrades, mobile communication services, and the installation of communication towers across the country.

Internet services have also expanded substantially through improved satellite technologies and direct connectivity systems that enhanced communication speed and efficiency.

As a result of all these efforts, internet service, which started with half a megabyte bandwidth in 2001, has increased to 1,536 megabytes over the past 10 years reached and has currently reached 4G level. Wi-Fi Internet service has also been expanded to remote areas and semi-urban centers.

Communications Sector Growth

Indicator	Current Status
Telecommunication towers installed	184
Internet capacity (2001)	0.5 MB
Internet capacity (Current)	1.5 GB
Telephone and internet services expansion investment	35 Billion Nakfa

 

Overall, the development of Eritrea’s transport and communication sector reflects a long-term process of reconstruction and modernization aimed at strengthening national integration, expanding economic opportunities, and improving access to services.

While challenges remain, continued investment and strategic planning have enabled important progress in connecting people and communities throughout the country.