Africa stands to gain significantly from the effective implementation of sustainable public procurement (SPP), which prioritises eco-friendly products, such as electric vehicles and low-emission supply chains.

Experts noted that this approach can drive innovation in environmentally friendly goods and services, supporting Africa’s broader goals for economic resilience and sustainable development.

These observations were made at the 4th General Assembly of the African Public Procurement Network (APPN), hosted by Rwanda under the theme: "Enhancing Sustainable Public Procurement for Africa' Economic Resilience." The three-day event ran from November 12 through 14 at Kigali Convention Centre.

By using public spending to promote environmentally and socially responsible practices, they observed, SPP positions African nations to address urgent environmental issues while fostering long-term economic stability and growth.

Sustainable procurement also supports green initiatives, such as cleaner transport systems, energy-efficient housing, and climate-resilient infrastructure all designed to reduce environmental impact.

As African governments embrace SPP, they not only advance sustainable development but also set a benchmark for responsible production and consumption across the continent, paving the way toward a more resilient, green economy.

To achieve this, experts emphasised the need to establish clear targets and indicators during the design and planning stages. Additionally, effective coordination, professional competency, diligent monitoring, and ensuring market readiness to supply the necessary goods and services are essential.

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Indeed, sustainable public procurement has taken centre stage at this continental event, with experts exploring ways Africa can tap this area.

Rwanda’s Minister of State in charge of National Treasury, Richard Tusabe, said that the gathering is "a testament to our unwavering commitment to transforming public procurement across Africa into a catalyst for resilience, sustainability, and inclusive economic growth.”

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For public procurement to happen, Tusabe said, there are two parties to it – the public sector and the private sector. He pointed out "whatever we do again has a very strong connotation on the private sector,” highlighting the need for effective collaboration between the two parties.

"Whatever we do with them [the private sector] is to ensure that we share the growth that we have in our respective countries, [that] whatever we do is sustainable and more importantly, it is inclusive for socio-economic development,” he said.

He said that public procurement is linked to sustainable development, serving as an important driver of transformation. This includes having a direct impact on creation of decent jobs, and economic growth, on industrialisation, innovation, infrastructure, and on responsible consumption and production, he indicated.

"Adoption of sustainable procurement practices will encourage the adoption of environmentally friendly technologies. By prioritising green procurement and supporting industries that minimise environmental impact, we help to protect ecosystems and reduce wastes, aligning our practices with global environment goals,” he said.

"With sustainable public procurement coming with climate-related and environmental friendly practices, we believe that, to a great extent, we shall address the challenges that we face in climate space, but more importantly make sure that we protect the livelihoods of our citizens,” he said, citing climate change effects including claiming lives of some African citizens.

Joyeuse Uwingeneye, the Director General of Rwanda Procurement Authority (RPPA) – who is also the outgoing Chairperson of APPN, said that the theme of the event for this year was not chosen randomly, pointing out that it came at a time when sustainability has become a top priority, particularly for procuring entities.

"We are increasingly focused on ensuring that the products and services procured or authorised for government purchase meet sustainability standards,” she said.

"So, we’ve now come to a point where we need really to rethink how do we support the governments, how do we ensure that whatever we procure we are also protecting the environment, but how do we also, through procurement, do impact the societies but also our economies,” she remarked.

Sanjay Kumar, Founder & MD of nexGEN Procurement Solutions, said governments in African countries spend amount equivalent to roughly 17 per cent of their gross domestic product (GDP) on public procurement – for goods and services.

"And that is one of the ways which you as public procurement professionals can use to transform you supply chains and also to transform the whole economy,” he told participants at the meeting, referring to the governments’ huge purchasing power in Africa, and how it can be leveraged towards greening public procurement.

Regarding the around 17 per cent of Africa GDP reported as being spent in public procurement across Africa, Tusabe said that such number may even be higher "if we are all to use the sound systems with credible data that we can share to inform our policy orientation,” he said, pointing to current inadequate reporting as countries on the continent are at different stages of development in this area.

Victoria Kwakwa, the World Bank’s Regional Vice President for Eastern and Southern Africa, said that looking forward, the future of public procurement in Africa is evolving rapidly. There is an increasing emphasis on sustainable procurement practices, circular procurement, and more agile systems that can respond quickly to emerging challenges.

During the same event, Rwanda launched its Sustainable Public Procurement (SPP) Policy Framework, which was approved by the Cabinet approved on October 18, 2024.

RPPA considers this policy framework a milestone in the nation’s journey toward sustainable development and green economic growth.

This initiative, it indicated, places Rwanda at the forefront of responsible procurement practices in Africa, reflecting the country’s commitment to integrating environmental, social, and economic sustainability considerations into public procurement processes.

The country also launched its Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS), a reporting framework on public procurement to ensure transparency, as well as efficient monitoring and evaluation of public procurement performance

Resolutions, election of new president

The Fourth Assembly of APPN acknowledged the commitment of APPN Member Countries (MCs) to adopt best practices in public procurement and management; and recognised the importance of proper administrative and financial management in achieving the goals and objectives of the Network.

It resolved, among others, to approve the three-year 2025-2027 Action Plan for Staffing and Equipping of the APPN Technical Secretariat. To this end, it endorsed the comprehensive action plan, which outlines the strategy for recruiting qualified personnel, providing essential equipment, and developing the operational capacity of the Technical Secretariat.

The action plan will be implemented in line with the approved budget and timeline, with periodic reviews to monitor progress and ensure the effective execution of planned activities.

Also, the Assembly endorsed the Manual of Accounting and Finance, which sets forth the standards and guidelines for financial management, budgeting, auditing, and reporting, ensuring transparency and accountability in the use of Network resources; and the approved the adoption of the Manual of Administrative Procedures, which will govern internal processes, define roles and responsibilities, and establish protocols for the efficient management of Secretariat operations.

It closed its session with the elections for the president of APPN as well as the members of the network’s committee for 2025. Zimbabwe takes over from Rwanda as the chair with Claver Ruswa succeeding Joyeuse Uwingeneye as president of the Network during the year 2025.

Recognising the confidence entrusted in him by APPN members, the new president of the network Claver Ruswa, declared that Zimbabwe is ready to host the 5th General Assembly of the network in 2025.