Why is Africa facing a technocratic imperative in governance? Critical analysis of the Nachtigal case

The effectiveness of major structuring projects in Africa cannot be measured solely by the mobilization of capital or the completion of civil engineering. It inherently depends on the synchronization of value chains, an area where technocratic expertise is essential.

The Nachtigal hydroelectric project in Cameroon offers a paradigmatic illustration of this necessity:
- Budget: approximately 786 billion FCFA, or 1.2 billion euros.
- Power: 420 MW, or 30% of the country's capacity.
- Duration: more than 5 years of titanic work.

However, the analysis of its deployment reveals a major dyschrony in the management of the critical path: the finalization of the production infrastructure has preceded the capacity upgrade of the transport network, essential for the evacuation of energy.

The impact of planning asymmetry

This lack of strategic alignment between upstream production and downstream transportation, beyond not resolving the initial problem for which this project was implemented, exposes the State to the rigors of “take or pay” type contractual clauses. As a result, the Public Treasury is forced to pay for energy that is available but not distributed.

The financial impact of this lack of coordination is estimated at more than 100 billion FCFA per year, or around 152 million euros. An expense which burdens the national budget and which could have been neutralized by rigorous integrated planning.

The need for a competent technocracy

This textbook case demonstrates that Africa must urgently promote technocratic profiles, mastering both a helicopter view of the global context, financial engineering and the management of complex programs.

It is imperative to transcend the silo approach to adopt systemic governance, the only guarantee of the economic and social profitability of public investments.