West Africa’s Infrastructure Pipeline Needs Common PPP Rules, Not Another Layer of Commitments

West African governments and regional institutions have renewed calls for more consistent public-private partnership rules as they seek to attract investment into cross-border infrastructure.

The fifth ECOWAS regional forum on public-private partnerships, held in Abidjan, concluded with about 20 recommendations. Participants called for the gradual harmonisation of PPP regulatory frameworks across member states, alongside legal and institutional reforms intended to improve the investment climate and strengthen certainty for infrastructure projects.

The case for common rules is straightforward. Regional transport, power, logistics and digital projects often cross more than one jurisdiction, yet investors must navigate different procurement systems, concession laws, approval processes, dispute-resolution mechanisms and risk-allocation standards. That fragmentation can raise transaction costs, delay financial close and make projects harder to replicate across countries.

Harmonisation does not require every member state to adopt identical laws. It should, however, establish minimum regional standards for project preparation, competitive procurement, disclosure, contract management and dispute resolution. Clearer standards would also help governments compare projects more effectively and reduce the risk of poorly structured concessions becoming long-term fiscal liabilities.

ECOWAS has linked the discussion to its wider Regional Infrastructure Master Plan and the need to improve the movement of people, goods, services and capital. But regulatory reform alone will not produce bankable projects. Governments will still need credible feasibility studies, transparent demand assumptions, reliable revenue models and stronger public-sector capacity to negotiate and supervise contracts.

The next step should therefore be practical: a regional implementation roadmap with model clauses, common project-preparation standards, timelines and measurable commitments from member states. Without that, the forum’s recommendations risk becoming another layer of regional ambition without a corresponding pipeline of investable projects.

References

• ECOWAS: Recommendations to accelerate regional infrastructure development
• ECOWAS: Developing bankable infrastructure through PPPs