Nouakchatt — Mauritania, with significant reserves of underdeveloped natural resources and untapped agri-business potential, is introducing reforms needed to make the northwest African nation a more attractive investment destination. This message was delivered to visiting journalists on behalf of the government by the communication coordinator of the Agence De Promotion Des Investissements in Mauritania (APIM), Maimouna Gah El Hilal.
She outlined progress that has been made in managing natural resources and creating a more seamless process for investors. Hilal said that large deposits of gold, uranium, iron, and copper offer significant "promise" in the mining sector.
Mauritania's agricultural potential, too, sets the largely desert nation apart. With 513,000 hectares of "cultivable area", farmers produce tens of thousands of tons of dates, vegetables, rice, cereal, and millions of livestock. The marine fisheries sector is another major pillar of the national economy, offering employment for tens of thousands of Mauritanians while making up a significant chunk of export revenue.
Despite the progress, limited infrastructure - including erratic power supply and a lack of skilled human resources - poses a challenge to attracting investment, according to Mohammed El Habib Toure, a senior director at APIM. Toure said the Mauritanian government is taking steps to address the problem through increased spending for education.
These challenges, however, aren't unique to Mauritania. Development institutions highlighted the factors impeding growth across the continent. Candidates for AfDB presidency also stressed the need to prioritize human resource development in their pitches for the post. Senegal's Amadou Hott called for more investment in education to develop the continent's human capital, noting that "it is not just to have education and skills, but to have job opportunities".
Mauritania's Sidi Ould Tah, another candidate who will address the press on Tuesday in Nouakchott, said maximizing the potential of the continent's youth is crucial. "We need to work on my demography and turn it into power," he told Deutsche Welle in April. Led by the country's current Minister of Economy and Finance, Sid'Ahmed Ould Bouh, the government launched a diplomatic campaign to garner support for Tah's candidacy, actively engaging with both African and non-African member nations of the AfDB Group.
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