Dakar — Over 70 participants from 13 countries met in Dakar, Senegal this week to participate in a three-day infrastructure and PPP workshop, led by the Global Infrastructure Hub (GI Hub).
Opened by Senegal's Director General of Cooperation, External Financing, Private Sector Development and Partnerships on behalf of the Minister of Economy, Planning and Cooperation, Amadou Hott, the workshop aimed to build the capacity of infrastructure policy makers and practitioners to strengthen policy and delivery in francophone Africa.
The agenda was tailored to regional needs, responding to inputs during planning from the workshop's partners. The GI Hub shared best practice and knowledge through interactive sessions focused on the practical application of its online infrastructure tools and guidance.
GI Hub's Senior Policy Adviser, Maud de Vautibault said: "The enthusiastic response to this workshop demonstrates how important infrastructure delivery and PPPs are to the future of West Africa, and how valuable such capacity building exercises are to the governments and people of the region. We are grateful to our workshop partners who made the event such a success and look forward to our ongoing work in Africa through GI Hub initiatives such as the Africa Infrastructure Fellowship Program."
A spokesperson for Senegal's Ministry of Economy, Planning and Cooperation said: "This workshop contributes, among other things, to the reinforcement of capacity of these countries' PPP Units so that they are sufficiently equipped to support the contracting authorities. The goal is that PPPs in our countries are high quality but also executed quickly, in 'Fast Track' mode."
The workshop partners were the Senegalese Government, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, African Institute for Economic Development and Planning, African Development Bank and NEPAD Infrastructure Project Preparation Facility and with the participation of the World Bank and West African Economic and Monetary Union. Significant contributions were also made by the country participants, especially Gabon, Senegal, Mali, Cameroon and Ivory Coast, African Legal Support Facility and advisory firms Allen & Overy, Mott Macdonald and CMS Francis Lefebvre.
Statements attributable to GI Hub's West Africa Workshop Partners
"Our countries should be endowed with infrastructures which correspond to their will to emerge, to promote the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals and the aspirations of Agenda 2063 of the African Union" - Karima Bounemra, Director, African Institute for Economic Development and Planning.
"This workshop is evidence of ECA forging strategic partnerships and working with others to contribute to the achievement of Agendas 2030 and 2063" - Eunice Ajambo, Economic Affairs Officer at the Economic Commission for Africa's Macroeconomic and Governance Division, and Focal Point.
"The objective of the Dakar workshop is very relevant for the African Development Bank' s evaluation of its PPP mechanism. The evaluation highlighted the importance for countries to learn from each other's experiences. And the workshop provides a platform for sharing experiences and better equip stakeholders involved in PPP activities for better project design and execution" - Boubacar Ly, Evaluation Officer with the independent evaluation function of the African Development Bank.
About Global Infrastructure Hub
The Global Infrastructure Hub (GI Hub) is an independent organisation established by the G20 in 2014. Its mission is to connect the global infrastructure community and share insights to facilitate delivery of G20 members' economic, social and environmental outcomes through more and better infrastructure. www.gihub.org
About Africa Infrastructure Fellowship Program
The Africa Infrastructure Fellowship Program (AIFP) is a public-private initiative to support African governments build capacity in public infrastructure procurement. Developed by the GI Hub, Meridiam and the World Economic Forum, the AIFP aims to mobilise stakeholders across government, the private sector and multilateral development banks to deliver a program of practical training for public sector infrastructure practitioners. www.gihub.org/aifp
For interviews and more information contact:
Will Turner
Email: william.turner@gihub.org
Phone: +61 448 695 244
