Libreville: The IMF, with financial backing from the Governments of Japan and Germany and in partnership with regional technical assistance centers (AFRITACs Central and West), has successfully conducted three editions of the Interregional Seminar on Public Investment Management (SEIGIP) in 2022, 2023, and 2025 in Francophone Sub-Saharan Africa.
According to International Monetary Fund, these seminars brought together approximately 60 senior officials from 21 sub-Saharan African countries, mainly Francophone, to evaluate the impact of IMF’s capacity development initiatives and the potential of South-South cooperation.
The inaugural SEIGIP focused on addressing Public Investment Management (PIM) challenges amid the COVID-19 pandemic. It highlighted the necessity of robust legal and institutional frameworks for effective PIM and discussed methods to identify and support climate change-sensitive public investments.
The second seminar, SEIGIP 2, held in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire from May 30 to June 1, 2023, expanded on PIM reforms covering project appraisal and selection, budgeting and execution, asset management, and fiscal risk management. The seminar underscored the significance of multiyear budgetary authorizations and sustainable management of public assets, while mapping fiscal risks to quantify their potential impacts.
In the third edition, SEIGIP 3, held in Libreville, Gabon from April 28-30, 2025, attention was directed towards the initial phases of the PIM cycle. The sessions emphasized the need for systematic ex-ante evaluations for better project selection and explored good practices for project selection, including strategic alignment and socioeconomic returns. The seminar also addressed PIM digitalization and aligning its information system with budgetary processes.
The series of SEIGIPs underscored the importance of long-term exchanges among technical assistance providers and national experts. Participants showed increasing proficiency in the topics due to the technical assistance provided between editions, making SEIGIP a valuable platform for addressing complex problems. Country experiences fostered engaging debates, while group exercises facilitated networking and consensus-building among participants.
The seminar format received widespread acclaim, with 97.7% of SEIGIP 3 participants confident in applying their newly acquired skills. The content was well-received, with 95.6% satisfaction and high appreciation for the tutorials. Moving forward, the focus will be on extending the seminar duration to four and a half days, allowing more practical exercises and dissemination of best practices.
The fourth edition, SEIGIP 4, is scheduled for January 26-30, 2026, in Nouakchott, Mauritania, continuing the momentum and building on the successes of the previous seminars.