Infrastructure in Africa: “Overcoming the legal and commercial challenges to successful PPP projects”.

Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) are increasingly seen as an essential structure for the financing, construction and operation of new infrastructure facilities that will help to address the infrastructure deficit that Africa currently faces. According to the World Bank figures, Africa needs to spend about $93 billion annually until 2020 to bridge this deficit. A boost in energy, transport and social infrastructure is crucial in ensuring a successful future for many economies on the continent.

Each PPP project is heavily dependent for its success on project bankability and government capacity and commitment. In order for more PPPs to emerge in Africa, many countries are recognising the need to improve the investment environment and work to remove constraints for PPPs, such as an inadequate legal and regulatory framework; lack of technical skills to manage PPP programmes and unfavorable investor perception of country risk.

With reference to one or more potential or completed projects in your home country in Africa or another African country discuss some of the legal and commercial challenges facing PPP projects. What do you observe as the stumbling blocks and what particular possible solutions can you suggest to successfully address the challenges?

Essays and a copy of your CV should be sent to AfricaStudentPrize@eversheds.com by 31 January 2016

Entry requirements

Submissions are to be between 5-10k words or less (excluding references and footnotes). Additional words will be ignored. Incorporation of material drawn from other sources must be acknowledged. The decision of the Eversheds Africa Law Institute as to the winning entries is final. In the event of a single entry being the work of more than one person, only one person shall be entitled to take up the award. Travel costs and subsistence will be covered for the duration of the work experience.

Entrants must:

• at the date of submission be a graduate or undergraduate student at a university or law school based in Africa or, if based in France/UK, be a citizen of an African country
• not be an employee (or member of an employee's family or household) of Eversheds LLP or EIL nor holding an offer for future employment with Eversheds LLP or EIL
• not have accepted a training contract offer at a law firm (or an equivalent offer of work or training)
• not have already qualified as a legal practitioner
• have a valid passport with no restrictions on travel to the UK
• be free to travel to the UK for a four week period between March 2016 and May 2016 to be agreed