Bamako: Malian Prime Minister, Major General Abdoulaye Maga, chaired the opening ceremony of the 12th Conference of Ministers of the Observatory of African Public Services (OFPA) in Bamako, Mali. The event, held this Saturday, August 23, 2025, saw participation from notable figures, including Mathias Traor©, the Minister of Civil Service, Labor and Social Protection from Burkina Faso, marking the first such gathering since the 2018 conference in Cotonou, Benin.
According to Burkina Information Agency, Dr. Fassoun Coulibaly, Malian Minister of Labor, Civil Service, and Social Dialogue, emphasized the need to revitalize the organization to address challenges confronting African civil services. He urged the conference to propose changes that would alter public perceptions of African public services, often criticized for being bureaucratic.
Prime Minister Abdoulaye Maga highlighted the strategic importance of the African Public Services Observatory, which consists of 26 member states, as a crucial tool for enhancing public governance across the region. He expressed optimism that the conference would allow experts and administrators to exchange insights on civil service challenges and opportunities in Africa.
He called for innovative solutions to enhance public officials’ capacities, improve service quality, and instill a culture of performance and accountability. The Prime Minister underscored the conference’s agenda, which aims to assess past achievements, identify improvement areas, and establish future directions for the organization.
Following the opening ceremony, the ministers are set to review the conference agenda and the experts’ report, with hopes of setting a transformative path for African public services.
