Abidjan: The International Monetary Fund (IMF), with backing from the Governments of Japan and Germany and in partnership with regional technical assistance centers (AFRITACs Central and West), has been spearheading efforts to bolster public investment management in Francophone Sub-Saharan Africa. Over the past few years, they have organized three editions of the Interregional Seminar on Public Investment Management (SEIGIP) in 2022, 2023, and 2025, each drawing approximately 60 senior officials from 21 countries across the region.
According to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the first SEIGIP focused on addressing Public Investment Management (PIM) challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasizing the importance of robust legal and institutional frameworks. Topics such as identifying and supporting climate change-sensitive public investments were also discussed. The second SEIGIP, held in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, from May 30 to June 1, 2023, expanded its focus to include project appraisal, budgeting, execution, asset management, and fiscal risks, showcasing best practices and underscoring the significance of multiyear budgetary authorizations.
The third edition, conducted in Libreville, Gabon, from April 28-30, 2025, delved deeper into the upstream phases of the PIM cycle. It highlighted the necessity of ex-ante evaluations for improving project selection and shared best practices for strategic alignment and financial viability in project selection. The seminar also explored PIM digitalization and aligning its information systems with budgetary systems.
The successive SEIGIPs have demonstrated the value of sustained engagement involving technical assistance providers and national experts. The growing technical sophistication of the exchanges, the participative nature of country experiences, and productive group exercises have been key highlights. A vast majority of participants from SEIGIP 3 expressed confidence in applying the acquired knowledge, with 97.7% stating they could enhance the quality of public investments.
A consensus has emerged on the need to expand the seminar to four and a half days to accommodate more practical exercises and in-depth training. The dissemination of best practices, through texts and manuals during SEIGIP, has also been identified as an area for improvement. The fourth edition of SEIGIP is scheduled to be held from January 26 to 30, 2026, in Nouakchott, Mauritania, continuing the momentum set in motion by previous seminars.