Abidjan, 6 March 2023 – The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), in partnership with the Office of the Resident Coordinator of the United Nations System in Côte d'Ivoire and the National Steering Committee for Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) of Cote d'Ivoire, organized this day in Abidjan, a validation workshop of the diagnostic study of Côte d'Ivoire on PPPs in infrastructure.
Scheduled for March 6-7, 2023, this workshop, which brings together representatives of ministries in charge of Planning and Development, Budget, Transport, the National PPP Steering Committee and the private sector aims to examine the findings of the scoping study on PPPs in infrastructure in Côte d'Ivoire, raise awareness and guide the debate on PPPs in infrastructure and their financing modalities in Côte d'Ivoire, and then develop an action plan for a short and medium term intervention.
Cote d'Ivoire's diagnostic study and related action plan are part of the ECA's "PPP for Infrastructure Financing" project, an initiative aiming, among other things, at increasing the number of infrastructure projects financed by Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) and accelerating infrastructure development in Africa. Six (6) African countries are involved in this process, namely Kenya, Uganda, Malawi, Zambia, Cameroon and Côte d'Ivoire.
The main objective of this initiative is to "build the capacity of stakeholders to use public-private partnerships as a means of innovative financing and infrastructure development to support industrialization in selected African countries in the post-COVID-19 era."
In his speech at the opening of the workshop, the representative of the Resident Coordinator of the United Nations System in Côte d'Ivoire, Mr. Ghitu-I Mundunge, emphasized the importance of private sector investments in financing the national development effort. He indicated that the United Nations System in Côte d'Ivoire is committed to ensuring the coherence of the ECA-led PPP project with the CCSD 2021-2025. He reiterated the wish to see an increase in the number of PPPs that are inclusive, provide local and sustainable employment, promote gender equality and allow better access to basic social services
For his part, the ECA representative, Mr. Amadou Diouf, highlighted major advances made under the ECA initiative in key areas including (a) developing or strengthening PPP frameworks; (b) ensuring that PPP units are established and functional (i.e., have capacity); (c) developing "people-centered PPP" pipeline projects as a direct project influence; and (d) launching or creating an "African PPP Forum". This initiative also complements the ongoing programs of ECA, of the African Union, with PIDA, AfDB and other UN agencies that aim to contribute to economic development through infrastructure financing in the country. Mr. Amadou Diouf also emphasized the importance of infrastructure financing for the achievement of the SDGs, notably SDGs 7, 9, and 17, and the AfCFTA.
In his speech, the Chairman of the PPP National Steering Committee, Mr. Moussa Kouyate, welcomed the choice of Côte d'Ivoire as a target country for implementing the initiative. He emphasized the country's commitment to strengthening PPPs in Côte d'Ivoire, including the institutionalization and operationalization of the National Steering Committee for PPPs since 2012. He noted the signing over the past 10 years of nearly 20 PPP contracts, worth CFAF 4,000 billion.
Following this workshop, the ECA informed about the organization at the end of March 2023 of the African PPP Forum, which will bring together, among others, the heads of PPP Units in Africa and will enable the sharing of experiences and lessons and attracting investments of PPPs in infrastructure.
For further information on the ECA's PPP project, please contact:
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Mr. Robert Lisinge Acting Director, Private Sector Development and Finance Division United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, Email: lisinge@un.org;
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Mr. Anthony Monganeli Mehlwana, Private Sector Development and Finance Division United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, Email: mehlwana@un.org
For Côte d’Ivoire and West Africa:
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Mr. Ghitu-I Mundunge, Office of the Resident Coordinator of the United Nations System in Côte d'Ivoire, Email : ghitu@un.org.
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Amadou Diouf, ECA Sub-Regional Office for West Africa: Email : diouf19@un.org
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