Libreville: The IMF, with financial backing from the Governments of Japan and Germany and in partnership with AFRITACs Central and West, has been actively organizing the Interregional Seminar on Public Investment Management (SEIGIP) in Francophone Sub-Saharan Africa. The seminars, held in 2022, 2023, and 2025, aimed to bolster the region's capacity for public investment management (PIM).
According Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the three editions of SEIGIP brought together approximately 60 senior officials from 21 sub-Saharan African countries, predominantly Francophone, to evaluate the tangible impact of IMF's capacity development programs and the potential of South-South cooperation. The inaugural SEIGIP focused on addressing PIM challenges in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasizing the importance of robust legal and institutional frameworks for effective PIM and discussing methods for incorporating climate change considerations into public investments.
The second edition, held in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, from May 30 to June 1, 2023, continued the dialogue on PIM reforms. It covered a wide range of topics including project appraisal and selection, budget execution, asset management, and fiscal risk assessment. The seminar underscored the critical link between budgeting quality and execution, advocating for the use of multi-year budget authorizations along with annual payment appropriations.
The third seminar in Libreville, Gabon, from April 28-30, 2025, delved deeper into the preliminary phases of the PIM cycle. Key areas of focus included ex-ante evaluation to enhance project selection, best practices for project selection, and the integration of criteria specific to public-private partnerships. Additionally, the seminar explored the digitalization of PIM processes and the alignment of information systems with budgetary processes.
Successive SEIGIPs have demonstrated the value of long-term technical exchanges between TA providers and national experts. Many participants attended multiple editions, which enhanced their mastery of PIM subjects due to the TA provided by the IMF and regional centers between seminars. The SEIGIP serves as a valuable forum for addressing complex issues, with participatory country experiences generating significant debate and engagement among participants.
Practical exercises conducted during the seminars were particularly productive, fostering a collaborative dynamic and enabling participants to establish professional connections. The stabilized format of the seminar has been widely acclaimed, with 97.7% of SEIGIP 3 participants expressing confidence in applying their acquired knowledge and skills. Positive feedback was received, with 95.6% overall satisfaction and unanimous enjoyment of the content. Tutorials received enthusiastic appreciation, with 91.1% of participants expressing a positive response.
Looking ahead, the experience gained over the past three years highlights areas for improvement, such as extending the seminar duration to four and a half days to facilitate more practical exercises and in-depth training. Additionally, disseminating best practices through texts and manuals during SEIGIP is recommended. The next seminar, SEIGIP 4, is scheduled to take place from January 26 to 30, 2026, in Nouakchott, Mauritania.