Embassy organises forum on PPP & Sustainable Cities
The Embassy of France to Ghana organised a 2 day forum on Public/Private Partnerships and Sustainable CitiesThursday 29th and Friday 30th of September
On the 29th of September at the Kempinski Hotel, Gold Coast City Accra, Hon. Alex Segbefia, Minister of Health and the Ambassador of France to Ghana, HE François Pujolas officially launched the first day of a two day forum on Public/ Private Partnerships and Sustainable cities organised by the Embassy of France to Ghana and its partners
The first day, organised by the Embassy, in partnership with Business France and the French Chamber of Commerce in Ghana, was dedicated to Public/Private Partnerships focusing on 4 key sectors for Ghana’s economy. For each sector, a French company presented a project it successfully completed in a country similar to Ghana.
At this occasion, the Ambassador of France to Ghana recalled that today, in most countries, public budget alone cannot finance upgrading and building of infrastructure in an efficient and environmentally friendly way and new solutions have to be found to cope with it. “An obvious one is Public Private Partnerships”.
He stated that through PPP many French companies developed innovative technologies in the field of renewable energy and sustainable development, adding that they are ready to share this expertise in Ghana so the country can record significant strides in sectors such as energy, water, transport and health management.
H.E. François Pujolas & Hon. Segbefia
Sophie Clavelier
Sophie Clavelier, Director of Business France Abijan
The Ambassador giving his speech
H.E. François Pujolas
Gwénolé Jan, Sohpie Clavelier
Honorable Alex Segefia, Minister of Health
Participants at the conference
Economic Advisor , French Embassy, Director of Business France Abijan, Ambassador of France to Ghana
Gwénolé Jan, Sophie Clavelier, Aminata Ibrahim
Participants during a coffee break
PPP and sustainable development: a key issue for bilateral cooperation between France and Ghana
The Ambassador also mentioned the visit of President Mahama in France earlier this week where he met with French President François Hollande. Indeed, the French Head of State welcomed the development of economic relations between France and Ghana, namely in the energy, urban planning, agri-business, telecommunications and transport sectors.
Ghana is the second biggest economy of the ECOWAS zone after Nigeria. The country attained the category of “Lower Middle Income countries” in 2010 and has better development indicators than most Sub-Saharan economies. However infrastructural needs remain very crucial: transport, roads, water and sanitation, health, administrative organisation, and most especially electricity supply. Since French companies have recorded worldwide success in these sectors, particularly through public/private partnerships, these serve as good examples to meet Ghana’s current needs.
On the second day, the Embassy, in partnership with Institut Français and ArchiAfrika, organised a presentation of the Ghanaian and French approaches to sustainable cities in order to have a better understanding of the French approach and an illustration of these PPP examples. In his opening remarks of the second day, the Ambassador reiterated that the forum would enable companies operating in the PPP to show their expertise which is currently not sufficiently known in Ghana while conveying the image of a modern, creative and evolutionary French offer in direct drive with the evolution of the African continent in general and Ghana in particular.
Exchanging “best practices” between France and Ghana: concrete approach to sustainable urban development
The Ambassador recalled that the “problem of the sustainable city in western Africa and particularly in Ghana is indeed becoming a major issue for the social, economic and environmental development of a great majority of the population”. Indeed, since 2010, the Ghanaian population in urban areas has been 51.5%, and will double by 2030. He stated that the “stakes of planning and urban development are therefore very high”. ‘The “sustainable city approach” will allow decision-makers and urban actors to think and act differently, with new practices and techniques designed for a new urban model with effective solutions for critical issues such as housing problems, urban ecology, transport, human and social development.
The second day of the forum was inaugurated by Honorable MahamaAyariga, Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation.The session targeted architects, policy makers and other creative minds involved in urban development addressing the theme “realities and perspectives of sustainable cities in Ghana”. Round tables were organised and the presentation of a digital demonstrator designed from A to Z by more than 100 French companies;showing the unique and original global approach that puts together private companies as well as public decisions makers, to design an entire city.