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The Economic Commission for Africa and its partners the Global Infrastructure Hub and the African Development Bank will convene A workshop from 26 – 28 November 2019 in Dakar, Senegal. The workshop is a part of ongoing efforts by the ECA to respond to the overwhelming demand by member States for increased mobilization of stakeholders to advocate for, standardize, capacitate and support the development of PPPs in Africa, taking into consideration the unique situations and needs of the Continent.
“PPPs are a means of financing development as per SDG 17: they enable inter-sectoral and inter-regional linkages. The path to achieving development also requires a range of stakeholders and PPPs pray a crucial role in this respect,” says Ms. Eunice Ajambo, Economic Affairs Officer at ECA’s Macroeconomic and Governance Division, and Focal Point. “PPPs can help solve the dire need for public services and goods, if structured and managed well, and thus contributing to outcomes in health (SDG 3), education (SDG 4), water (SDG 6), energy (SDG 7), transport (SDG 9), among others, with consequences on wellbeing (SDG 1, SDG 5, SDG 11). But for this to happen, PPP Units must have the capacity to initiate, develop, and manage the pipeline of bankable and sustainable PPP projects,” she adds.
For her part, Ms. Morag Baird, Director at the Global Infrastructure Hub, notes that the Global Infrastructure Hub is an international organization and an initiative of the G20, with the mandate to connect infrastructure communities and share insights to help facilitate improved flow and quality of infrastructure. The workshop is being held in Africa to help build the capacity of government policymakers and practitioners to improve the quality and quantity of infrastructure investment in francophone Africa.
“We are working in partnership with government and development partners to meet these shared objectives through widely sharing best practice, knowledge and learnings. The workshop builds on the success of the Global Infrastructure Hub in delivering workshops based on practical tools and knowledge in other areas of Africa, Latin America, Asia and Europe,” she says.
For Mr. Mustapha Sadni Jallab, Head of Training and Research Division at the African Institute for Economic Development and Planning (IDEP), “resilient and adequate infrastructures are vital determinants in securing a pro-development environment, sustain economic growth and generate decent jobs. A recent economic simulation produced by IDEP/ECA has shown that if African countries want to boost intra-African trade and benefit from the African Continental Free Trade Area, they will need to address trade facilitation genuinely. Furthermore, trade costs will need to be reduced significantly. This requires significant and massive resource mobilization, a boost in investment trends to ensure more efficient and secure transport infrastructure, supply appropriate energy offer, which will also have direct implications on sustainable growth and economic transformation.
“It is befitting that this training is happening in Dakar. Senegal has experienced important projects in the implementation of PPPs, including the Dakar-Diamniadio Toll Road, and also with the new Blaise Diagne International Airport. With our experience in training government officials, disseminating knowledge and information on the Continent and brokering collaboration globally, we look forward to a productive exchange of lessons learned and the formation of networks among partners,” he adds.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA).
