14th edition of the Africa PPP Summit
The 14th edition of the Africa PPP Summit, the Pan-African Infrastructure Finance & Investment Summit for the 2nd year running was hosted in Casablanca, Kingdom of Morocco.
The event took place from 22-24 October 2024, under the theme “Scaling up PPPs to address Infrastructure Investment gaps”. The 2024 edition featured a pre-conference capacity building masterclass, on Project Preparation for PPPs, and a technical half day site visit to Casablanca Port.
The Summit brought together over 180 professionals from 14 countries to Casablanca, creating a space to explore strategies and innovations for advancing infrastructure finance utilizing PPPs across Africa.
Mr Jean Pierre Elong MbassiSecretary General of UCLG Africa addressed the major challenges facing African countries, particularly in the areas of governance, legislation and investment projects. He stressed that, although legislative and policy frameworks can be improved, the political will to implement them remains essential. Focusing on cities, which generate 60% of national GDP, he estimated that around 142 billion dollars are needed for their proper functioning, a significant proportion of which is for investments linked to climate change and maintenance. He also stressed the importance of incorporating domestic financing into PPPs, in order to reduce dependence on external debt. He also spoke of the need to strengthen institutional frameworks and to include local stakeholders in projects in order to meet their specific needs.
