West African nations advance public-private partnership strategies

West African nations are focusing on the restructuring and implementation of public-private partnerships (PPP) to drive economic and infrastructure development.

In Togo, a high-level conference was held in Lomé to discuss the structuring and financing of PPP projects. The initiative, supported by the Ministry of Finance and Budget and the Ministry Delegate for Investment Promotion, aims to use PPPs as a lever for the government’s 2026-2031 roadmap. Experts emphasized that PPPs are not a free financial resource but require high-quality project structuring and risk sharing to succeed.

In Senegal, the private sector is calling for reforms to ensure local companies benefit from large-scale state projects. Following the signing of only three PPP contracts since 2021, business leaders have requested local subcontracting quotas and mandatory capital participation to prevent national firms from being sidelined by international groups. Prime Minister Ahmadou Alhaminou Mouhamed Lô is expected to meet with private sector organizations to discuss these barriers and potential solutions.