There is an urgent need for innovative, sustainable approaches to financing infrastructure, especially large-scale infrastructure, to enable the development of complex and expensive infrastructure needed for economic transformation. The government’s inability to pay for these has hindered the development of critical infrastructure. Private finance provides opportunities to address the infrastructure deficit. This will provide opportunities both locally and in the West African sub-region. This is even more relevant in the context of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA). Whilst most African governments acknowledge the important contributions that PPPs can make to their economies, the uptake of the concept is low. Urgent action is required to address the problems that hinder the uptake of PPP in African economies.

Africa faces one of the most pressing infrastructure deficits globally, with significant gaps in transport, energy, water, sanitation, and agricultural infrastructure. These gaps limit the continent’s ability to achieve inclusive economic growth, social development, and regional integration. Public–Private Partnerships (PPPs) present a strategic solution to mobilise private sector capital, technical expertise, and innovation to complement public investment. By leveraging PPPs, African countries can develop large-scale projects such as transcontinental motorways, regional energy grids, irrigation systems, and logistics infrastructure critical to competitiveness and integration under the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA).

The African PPP Acceleration Programme (APPPAP) has been designed to close these gaps by raising awareness, strengthening technical capacity, enabling access to sustainable financing, and building inclusive partnerships for sustainable infrastructure delivery. Country-specific programmes have been designed to help advance PPPs in these African countries.