In many African countries today, public sector deficits matched by a myriad of competing demands impede funding for infrastructure development. Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) have emerged over the last decade as an innovative way to mobilize finance, enhance efficiency and improve ownership of projects. PPPs have been particularly successful in economic (physical) infrastructure, such as power, transport, telecommunications, water and sanitation.

Through its long and medium term strategies and implementing departments, the African Development Bank is encouraging African countries to create the necessary legal and regulatory framework for PPPs; as well as facilitating networking and sharing of experience among regulatory agencies and similar organizations.

The Bank has designed a three-phase Continuous Professional Development (CPD) programme for the Batoka Gorge Hydro Electric Scheme, with the second and third phases scheduled to take place in May and June this year. Phase One begins on the morning of Monday, 4 April 2016 at the African Development Bank’s Southern Africa Resource Centre in Centurion, just outside of Pretoria. This leading-edge training programme will be attended by four Permanent Secretaries from the Ministries of Finance and Water from the Governments of Zambia and Zimbabwe as well as other Management and project staff of the Batoka Gorge Hydro-electric Scheme.

Located on the Zambezi River across the boundary between Zambia and Zimbabwe, this trailblazing transnational project has the potential to make Zambia and Zimbabwe net exporters of power across the SADC region. This project is expected to produce 1,600 MW of power. 

The project is situated downstream of the Victoria Falls and upstream of the existing Kariba Dam hydroelectric scheme. In September 2015, the two governments approached the African Development Bank to be the lead project financier with the World Bank as a co-financer, and both governments taking modest equity project participation.

The project’s success depends on close collaboration between the governments of Zambia and Zimbabwe. Numerous board members of the Zambezi River Authority (ZRA), a corporation jointly and equally owned by the governments of Zambia and Zimbabwe, will be in attendance for the entire duration of the training programme. They include representatives the Zambian and Zimbabwean Energy, Power, Water and Finance Ministries, responsible for spearheading the trans-national collaboration between the two partner countries.

For more information about the training, please visit the website: 

http://ametrade.org/capacity-development-in-ppps/