Public Private Partnerships As Catalyst for Infrastructure Development in North Africa

Abstract

North Africa (NA) comprises of eight countries that includes Western Sahara, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Sudan and South Sudan. Though, it is an economically prosperous area generating one-third of Africa’s total GDP, the continuous violence makes the region disturbed. The continent’s conflicts are tightly clustered along an arc stretching from northern Mali through southern Algeria and Libya into Egypt, extending into the Sinai Peninsula. The violence has been moving away from armed conflicts to higher levels of riots, protests and social violence, such as homicide and violence associated with organised crime. The people are demanding political reforms of voice, accountability and governance. Moreover, the vast deficit of infrastructure is a constraint on its growth. There is a need for adequate infrastructure to secure energy, efficient transport, reliable communication systems, resilient sanitation, and affordable housing. Public Private Partnerships (PPP) are an important tool for developing infrastructure and fostering economic development. They are used with infrastructures like roads, airports, ports, power, water, and solid waste treatment and typically involve investment and operation and maintenance. It can provide more efficient procurement, focus on consumer satisfaction and life cycle maintenance, and provide new sources of investment. Despite violence, many PPP projects have been undertaken by North African countries in different sectors. This paper makes a review of PPP policies and various projects undertaken by countries of North Africa in infrastructure development.