Photo credit AfDB – Opening ceremony speakers (from left): Bernice Savy (AfDB), Nadia Saadi-Matoussi (PIAC), Tarek Bouhlel (Ministry of Economy and Planning), Yahya Ceesay (PIAC), and Bouraoui Jaouadi (PIAC).
Session equips Tunisian project managers with tools to combat fraud and promote transparency in development initiatives.
In a move to strengthen governance in its funded projects, the African Development Bank (AfDB) convened a specialized training session in Tunis on September 16, 2025, for Tunisian project implementation units. The initiative, led by the Bank’s Integrity and Anti-Corruption Department (PIAC), focused on equipping managers with advanced skills to identify and mitigate integrity risks.
Held with the support of Tunisia’s Ministry of Economy and Planning, the session aimed to instill a stronger culture of transparency and accountability. The training is part of the Bank’s broader strategy to ensure that its investments yield sustainable and inclusive results for the region’s economic and social development.
Tarek Bouhlel, Director General for African Cooperation at the Ministry of Economy and Planning, opened the event by welcoming the initiative. He emphasized that such capacity-building is crucial for enhancing the governance of AfDB-financed projects within the country.
“The training contributes to improved governance of projects financed by the African Development Bank in Tunisia,” Bouhlel stated, underscoring the government’s support for the program.
The curriculum covered critical topics essential for modern project management, including integrity risk assessment, due diligence procedures for partners, whistleblowing mechanisms, and the handling of complaints. Participants were also briefed on practices that can lead to sanctions by the Bank, such as fraud, corruption, collusion, coercion, and obstruction, along with their severe legal and reputational consequences.
Bernice Savy, the AfDB’s Principal Economist in Tunisia, representing the Bank’s North Africa leadership, commended the participants’ commitment. She expressed confidence that the managers would now act as the “first guarantors of integrity and efficiency” in the Bank’s on-the-ground operations.
Facilitator Nadia Saadi-Matoussi, a Principal Capacity Development Officer at PIAC, reminded attendees that the Bank’s core mission is to ensure every resource effectively contributes to development. The event served to reaffirm the institution’s unwavering zero-tolerance policy towards fraud and corruption.
By providing project managers with the necessary tools to prevent risks and act with transparency, the African Development Bank seeks to foster an environment where development projects are not only successful but also beyond reproach.
TunisianMonitorOnline (NejiMed-AfDB)
