Mr Symerre Grey-Johnson, Head of Regional Integration, Infrastructure and Trade, officially opened the first round of NEPAD-Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA) training on Public Private Partnerships (PPP), co-funded by the African Union Commission and GIZ in Dakar Senegal, from 26 – 30 September.

A total of 110 potential participants were recommended from all the regional economic communities in Africa and 34 PIDA projects. From these, 74 applied, which culminated into the first training of 42 participants. On average, US$8000 has been invested per candidate for the training.
The training was conducted by a specialised PPP training institute, the Institute of Public Private Partnerships (IP3).

Public Private Partnerships training participants

Attendees included representatives from NEPAD Agency, African Union Commission, GIZ, and all the regional economic communities. They also included project teams from 9 PIDA projects which include the Batoka Gorge, Inga III, Ruzizi III, Kinshasa-Brazzaville Rail Road Project and the Abidjan – Lagos Highway Development Corridor and Central and North Corridors. Participants were trained on how to plan, structure, negotiate, implement, manage and monitor PPP projects, in line with the recommendations of the Dakar Finance Summit (DFS).

The training programme compliments the many interventions that NEPAD Agency and the AUC (with the support of development partners) have developed to address the challenges of implementing PIDA projects identified during the DFS. It will also help to create a pipeline of bankable projects for the 5% pensions initiative, that was launched by the NEPAD Agency Continental Business Network, on the side-lines of the 72nd Session of the UN General Assembly.