Project Overview

In July 2021, Cybiant was appointed by the World Bank to deliver a comprehensive Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Capacity Building Program for the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The initiative aimed to strengthen PPP capabilities across all 15 ECOWAS member nations: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo.

Founded in 1975 through the Treaty of Lagos, ECOWAS is a cornerstone of regional cooperation and integration in West Africa. It promotes economic development, collective self-sufficiency, and free movement of people, goods, and services across its member states. As a major pillar of the African Economic Community, ECOWAS supports initiatives that improve public infrastructure, governance, and service delivery across the region.

Context and Need for PPP Capacity Building

The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic slowdown underscored the urgent need for sustainable investment and robust public-private cooperation. While Nigeria and Ghana have led PPP activity in Africa, other ECOWAS nations such as Burkina Faso are actively developing PPP pipelines. Recognizing the potential of a regional approach, the World Bank engaged Cybiant to equip government officials with practical skills and international best practices in PPPs.

The program was designed to address key challenges: limited technical knowledge, regulatory gaps, and inconsistent project preparation practices. By building regional expertise and facilitating peer learning, the initiative aimed to foster more effective, transparent, and successful PPP projects.

Cybiant’s Role and Approach

Cybiant was selected for its expertise in public sector transformation and its status as an accredited training provider for the APMG PPP Certification Program. Over a three-month period, Cybiant delivered a virtual training curriculum aligned with the PPP Guide for Emerging Markets, covering all three certification levels:

• Public-Private Partnerships Foundation
• Public-Private Partnerships Preparation
• Public-Private Partnerships Execution

Topics included:

• Introduction to PPPs and key concepts
• Developing PPP frameworks
• Project identification and screening
• Project appraisal and structuring
• Tender design and procurement
• Contract management and risk allocation
• Project delivery, operations, and hand-back

To enhance learning, Cybiant’s trainers supplemented the course with real-world case studies and experiences from other developing economies, offering practical insights on the application of PPP methodologies.

Learning Experience and Delivery

Despite geographical dispersion and linguistic diversity, the program successfully brought together 50 delegates from 15 ECOWAS member states. The training was delivered in a blended format, with two 2-hour live sessions each week and self-paced learning components hosted on the CybiantLMS platform.

Chris Appiah, Head of Maritime Transport & Corridors at the ECOWAS Commission, highlighted the importance of the virtual infrastructure:

“We had 50 delegates from 15 member states, and for many, English was not their first language. Coordinating participation was a challenge, but the CybiantLMS provided an excellent solution. Delegates could learn at their own pace or re-watch sessions as needed. Without Cybiant, organizing this training would have been extremely difficult. They did an excellent job.”

Each certification level concluded with a preparation week, followed by an official online examination invigilated by Cybiant.

Participant Feedback

The program received positive feedback from senior officials and participants. Irene Addo-Dankwah, Head of the PPP Unit at Ghana’s Ministry of Finance, shared:

“I appreciated every aspect of the course. This was my second time participating in PPP training since joining the Unit. The materials were clear and well-explained. I especially enjoyed Module 5 – Structuring PPP Projects. I’m grateful to Jan and the team for their support throughout.”

Results and Achievements

Cybiant delivered the program in full compliance with the World Bank’s Terms of Reference and the ECOWAS Commission’s strategic objectives. Key outcomes included:

• 50 delegates from 15 countries certified at Foundation Level
• 28 delegates from 12 countries certified at Preparation Level
• 23 delegates from 13 countries certified at Execution Level

Chris Appiah concluded:

“Cybiant could not have done a better job. Their professionalism and focus on planning were clear throughout. They guided us expertly through this complex, high-impact program.”

Contact

For more information about the PPP Capacity Building Program or to explore how Cybiant can support your public sector transformation initiatives, please contact us at: info@cybiant.com