Amélie Njonkou is a supply chain engineer. Formerly in the private sector, she worked for the Danone group where she was responsible for the strategic and operational management of supplies. Amélie Njonkou was recruited by the African Development Bank (ADB) as part of the young graduates programme. For her professionalism, her knowledge of Public-Private Partnerships (PPP), her mastery of the infrastructure sector in Africa, particularly the transport component, she was transferred to the Infrastructure and Partnership Division of the African Development Bank (PICU3) as Senior Transport Officer.
NEPAD-IPPF : You are Franco-Cameroonian, you are 33 years old, you are an engineer specialised in PPP in Transport, you embody this successful return to Africa. A word about that? What were the challenges in coming back after your studies in France?
Amélie Njonkou: I always wanted to be an agent of change on the continent where I was born, Africa. After my studies and six years of rich and diversified experience in the industrial production sector in renowned groups such as Danone or Procter & Gamble, I looked for an opportunity to return to be at the service of Africa's development. I had the great pleasure of joining the African Development Bank (AfDB) through the Young Professionals Programme.
It is true that returning to Africa has also brought some challenges. The private sector in general is known to be quite innovative and agile in decision making. Joining an institution of this size with its own rules and procedures, and working with governments for the most part, meant administrative constraints that resulted in slower implementation in day-to-day operations.
Of course, there is the cultural and social adaptation after 13 years outside the continent. Habits mean that age, seniority and expertise are often key elements of authority. So I had some apprehensions being young, a woman, in this new, very hierarchical environment.
I am delighted to see that many young Africans have also taken the plunge, returning en masse in recent years to seize the opportunities that the African market offers. In addition, I am currently part of the Infrastructure and Partnerships team (PICU 3), a dynamic and motivated team at the heart of innovation within the Bank.
NEPAD-IPPF: Why did you leave the private sector?
Amélie Njonkou: Most of my added value in French private sector companies was related to increasing productivity through the choice of transport solutions and the optimisation of supply chain flows in terms of processes, lead times and costs. Having reflected on my return to Africa to put these skills to good use, I realised that the options were very limited due to the lack of infrastructure, a challenge that is the primary responsibility of States. Joining the AfDB was an opportunity to work with public sector actors in terms of priority planning strategy and to support them in financing and implementing these infrastructures.
Joining the AfDB was an opportunity to work with public sector actors in terms of priority planning strategy and to accompany them in the financing and implementation of these infrastructures
NEPAD-IPPF: How do you see the future of infrastructure in Africa?
Amélie Njonkou: The infrastructure deficit is estimated to be around $100 billion today and it will continue to grow with economic and population growth.
The infrastructure deficit is estimated to be around 100 billion dollars today
African states will have to create more and more collaboration with African and foreign private sector actors.
The future of infrastructure will lie in public-private partnerships and dialogues, as well as in policies to manage foreign direct investment, which are at the heart of development issues. In order to achieve inclusive and stable global growth, we need to create win-win partnerships based on the strengths and needs of each party.
Africa has a dynamic and very young population, which is already a hotbed of innovation and a workforce that will become even more strategic. Private actors, not only companies as such but also many private funds, are looking for investment opportunities on the growing and often poorly known continent.
NEPAD-IPPF: How do you at NEPAD-IPPF go about financing transport infrastructure in Africa?
Amélie Njonkou: The fund supports African countries in infrastructure development projects that strengthen regional integration and trade in the transport, energy, ICT and water resources management sectors.
The Fund supports African countries in infrastructure development projects that strengthen regional integration and trade in the transport, energy, ICT and water resources management sectors.
We receive requests from countries, but also from Regional Economic Communities (RECs) for different activities such as pre-feasibility or feasibility studies; project structuring; capacity building for infrastructure development; or support for a more enabling environment for PPPs.
These requests are first assessed according to their eligibility in terms of sector, alignment with priority plans including NEPAD, PIDA and the Bank's ten-year and regional integration strategies.
Then, technical criteria are examined: the level of project preparation, economic and financial viability, environmental and social impacts, impacts in terms of regional integration and technology and know-how transfer. Of course, the amount of funding is examined and allocations are made according to the priority of the projects and the availability of funds at the level of the monitoring committee.
NEPAD-IPPF: Can you tell us about a key project you are working on?
Amélie Njonkou: I am working on the detailed studies for the construction of the bridge over the Ntem River linking Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea. This project represents a key link on the Kribi-Campo-Bata multinational road axis and will contribute to greater integration in Central Africa.
NEPAD-IPPF: You are described as very innovative, what are your ideas for boosting the networking of territories in Africa and finally allowing roads to appear everywhere on the continent?
Amélie Njonkou: I am constantly looking for out-of-the-box solutions. The issues we are working on in the Infrastructure & Partnerships Division are at the crossroads of many challenges: the financing deficit, the drop in public development aid in the context of the economic crisis due to the pandemic, the quality of project entry, the need to strengthen the capacities of States in the implementation of new mechanisms such as PPPs, etc.
Encouraging dialogue between the public and African and foreign private actors
One of the first axes is to encourage dialogue between the public and African and foreign private actors, as we have a lot to learn from them. In particular, the African private sector is often poorly known and underestimated, whereas even in the execution of multinational contracts, they are very often involved as subcontractors and therefore have key skills that can be improved through training.
We must increasingly turn to strategic bilateral and multilateral partnerships
Secondly, in the current context where even the richest countries are facing an unprecedented economic crisis, we need to look more and more to strategic bilateral and multilateral partnerships rather than the more traditional donor concepts.
Investing in Research and Development to achieve efficiency
And finally, too often we tend to focus on the construction of infrastructure, rather than the mechanisms that enable the efficiency and longevity of these structures. Investing in specialised research and development within the constraints of our region, allocating a non-significant part of resources to maintenance and road maintenance funds is essential to achieve a substantial regional integration of the road network.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the AfDB or those of NEPAD-IPPF.
