Results show Senegal at the forefront for public-private partnerships in infrastructure

The African Development Bank (AfDB) will launch its highly anticipated Development Effectiveness Review 2013 for Senegal on Wednesday, March 12 in Dakar. The report is the second country-focused publication of its kind issued by the AfDB's Quality Assurance and Results Department since the reports were initiated in 2011 and is indicative of Senegal's development progress, particularly in terms of facilitating private-sector investment. The first country-focused publication on Rwanda was published in 2012.

The Development Effectiveness Review 2013 for Senegal provides a comprehensive report on the Bank's performance in Senegal and tracks how Bank operations have contributed to the country's development results over the last five years.

The 54-page publication emphasizes that Senegal is at the forefront of developing public-private partnerships in infrastructure. Using its development resources to leverage private-sector investment, the country has launched a number of major projects, including the new Dakar-Diamniadio toll highway, Blaise Diagne International Airport, and power plants in Kounoune and Sendou. Its new container terminal in the Port of Dakar has reduced the waiting times for ships from 15 to two hours. Senegal is now sharing its expertise on public-private partnerships with other African countries.

"The innovative public-private sector approach in Senegal has enabled the Bank to leverage in $1.5 billion in private-sector investment with $280 million of our own resources," said Simon Mizrahi, Director of the Bank's Quality Assurance and Results Department. "This Development Effectiveness Review demonstrates how the Bank is contributing to structural transformation and inclusive growth in Senegal."

The public-private partnerships created additional opportunities to finance the structural transformational needs of Senegal. The Senegal Development Effectiveness Review provides strong evidence of the Bank's contribution to the country. It is also an exercise in openness and transparency, which signals the Bank's strengths and weaknesses.

The launch will be hosted by the Bank's Resident Representative to Senegal, Lamine Mamadou Ndongo, and will include speeches by Senegal's Minister of the Economy and Finance, Amadou Ba, and representatives from the Bank's Quality Assurance and Results Department.

Following the launch, the full publication will be available at www.afdb.org/der/