PROSPECTS Impact

ILO empowers Sudanese partners to advance employment-intensive infrastructure development

The ILO brought together Sudanese institutions, contractors and infrastructure specialists in Addis Ababa to strengthen employment-intensive approaches that promote job creation, local recovery and resilient infrastructure development in Sudan.

15 May 2026

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (ILO News) — The International Labour Organization (ILO), is supporting Sudanese institutions to use infrastructure investments to create jobs and strengthen livelihoods in communities affected by crisis and displacement through training on employment-intensive approaches.

Held in Addis Ababa from 11 to 15 May 2026, the five-day training on the Employment-Intensive Investment Programme (EIIP) gathered 20 representatives from the State Ministries of Infrastructure in Kassala and White Nile states, the Khartoum State Water Corporation, private contractors, the Sudanese Contractors Association, the Sudan Regulatory Council for Contractors and Engineering Works, and Water, Environment and Sanitation (WES) from White Nile state.

Delivered through the ILO PROSPECTS programme in partnership with the International Training Centre of the ILO (ITCILO), the training forms part of ongoing efforts to improve livelihoods, promote decent work and strengthen resilience in fragile and crisis-affected settings.

Sudan continues to face major employment and infrastructure challenges following prolonged conflict and displacement, particularly in states hosting refugees and internally displaced persons.

Transforming infrastructure into opportunities for decent work

During the training, participants explored how labour-intensive approaches can transform infrastructure investments into opportunities for employment and livelihood while promoting safe working conditions, fair wages, regulated working hours and skills development.

EIIP training participants during classroom discussions

Opening the training, Khumbula Ndaba, Director, ILO Country Office for Ethiopia, Djibouti, Somalia, Sudan and South Sudan, and Special Representative to the AU and the ECA, emphasized the transformative role of EIIP.

“This training is not merely about acquiring technical knowledge; it is about driving transformational change in how we conceive and deliver development, moving from infrastructure that simply builds roads to infrastructure that creates livelihoods and decent work,” he said.

Khumbula Ndaba, Director, ILO Country Addis Ababa, opening the training session

Speaking at the closing session, Wiesje Elfferich, Deputy Head of Mission and Head of Development Cooperation at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Sudan, congratulated participants on completing the training and encouraged them to continue exchanging knowledge and experience.

“I encourage you to stay connected and continue learning from one another, including how you address challenges during implementation,” she said, underscoring the importance of continued peer learning and collaboration among practitioners working to advance EIIP approaches in Sudan.

Wiesje Elfferich, Deputy Head of Mission and Head of Development Cooperation at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Sudan, speaking at the closing session

At the core of the programme is the EIIP approach, which promotes the use of local labour alongside appropriate technology to maximize employment outcomes while maintaining quality and cost efficiency. The approach has proven particularly effective in fragile contexts, where infrastructure gaps and unemployment often coexist.

Participants examined how such approaches can be scaled up and embedded within national systems, including procurement processes, contractor practices, and infrastructure planning frameworks, to ensure scalability beyond individual projects.

Participants highlight practical value of the training

Participants emphasised the relevance and practical value of the training, highlighting how it strengthened their understanding of employment-intensive approaches and its application in Sudan.

Yasir Omer Suliman, Acting Director of the Sudanese Contractors Association, underlined the practical impact of the training.

He said, “The training was very informative, interactive, and practical. I learned a lot about the EIIP approach and will advocate for the application of EIIP methods across the construction sector in Sudan.”

He added that the field visit helped participants better understand the practical implementation of EIIP approaches.

“The training materials and presentations were useful and easy to follow, and the site visit helped me better understand EIIP, its relevance, and its practical application in Sudan, especially in the current context,” he added.

Ameera Abdelgalil Barsi, Head of the Structural Design Department at the Ministry of Infrastructure and Urban Planning in Kassala State, also praised the training’s structure and delivery.

Ameera Abdelgalil, Head of the Structural Design Department at the Ministry of Infrastructure and Urban Planning in Kassala State, receiving her certificate

She said, “The training was extremely useful and the sessions effectively combined theory and practical examples, making the learning experience both engaging and relevant.”

Learning through site visits

A key feature of the training was a study visit to the Addis Ababa Riverside Project, where participants observed the practical application of labour-intensive approaches in an urban infrastructure setting.

The visit provided first-hand insights into project design, labour deployment and community engagement. Participants also explored how infrastructure projects can generate employment while contributing to environmental sustainability and urban resilience.

EIIP training participants during a study visit in the Addis Ababa Riverside Project

Participants reflected on lessons learned during dedicated debriefing sessions, linking field observations to their own country contexts and institutional priorities.

Building on EIIP experience in Sudan

The training builds on ongoing EIIP interventions implemented through the ILO PROSPECTS programme in Sudan, particularly in Kassala and White Nile states. These have included market rehabilitation and the construction of agribusiness storage facilities for agricultural cooperatives, supporting both local economic development and job creation.

By linking infrastructure investments with employment objectives, these initiatives have contributed to strengthening livelihoods, supporting small-scale producers and improving access to markets.