Harmonized regional PPP framework for ECOWAS
Coordinated approach to public-private partnerships (P3 or PPP) is key for the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to attract billions in private investments needed to boost infrastructure development across the Community.
The big goal: The ECOWAS, which consists of 15 member countries, wants to see regional PPPs governed and delivered cohesively, guided by an overarching strategy.
But here’s the big roadblock: Some countries are further ahead in terms of PPPs, with policies and laws in place, while others are currently developing their PPP frameworks. Moreover, regional PPPs involve a number of public national and regional stakeholders, and coordination between them were among other challenges that PPP specialists at CPCS tackled while designing this multifaceted PPP framework.
Summary:
- Project financed by the World Bank Group through its Public–Private Infrastructure Advisory Facility (PPIAF)
- How PPPs are managed and executed across ECOWAS varies
- Various stakeholders, at the national and regional level, need to enhance their coordination
- No harmonized PPP strategy across ECOWAS limiting private sector investment in regional infrastructure development
- PPP framework by CPCS to alleviate limited investment capacity from public sector
- PPP framework, made of a policy and guidelines for regional PPPs, designed to give members states a strategy to deliver PPPs cohesively across ECOWAS
PPP expertise in West Africa
CPCS has worked in all 15 members states of ECOWAS, including doing a review of PPP frameworks, which gave CPCS a unique perspective to understand the context and obstacles the community is facing in terms of private sector participation in infrastructure.
Moreover, CPCS is currently working on several regional projects with ECOWAS and for the African Union, including assessing the potential development of a pipeline of infrastructure projects involving private sector investment to be implemented by Regional Economic Communities such as ECOWAS.
