The APPN is the largest formal public procurement network in the world. It includes 54 African countries which are grouped into five sub-regional networks.

Public procurement plays a crucial role in Africa’s economic development (17% of GDP on
average) and socioeconomic environment. Effective public procurement systems directly
influence a country’s economic growth and service delivery.
Forty-three African countries’ representatives formally established the African Public Procurement Network (APPN) in Lomé in October 2018 by signing its Articles of Association
(AA).
The main purpose of the APPN is to provide a platform for learning and networking to
public procurement policy makers, regulators and practitioners of its Member Countries (MCs).
The AA deal in detail with the objectives of the Network, set out the rules for membership, and established its governing bodies and their functions. The organs of the Network include President, the Executive Committee (EC), the Vice President (also the EC Coordinator), and the Technical Secretariat based in Lomé, Togo.

The aim will be to achieve the Network’s overarching goal of providing the heads of Public
Procurement Authorities and other key stakeholders of the APPN MCs a platform of learning and networking.
The General Assembly is intended to give an opportunity primarily to the heads of public
procurement of the member countries to learn from one another, and from experienced
procurement officials/experts from the countries with well-functioning public procurement
systems. However, the member countries can nominate more participants provided that these
nominations belong to the sectors and agencies relevant to public procurement such as
procurement capacity building institutions, oversight bodies, civil society, construction,
manufacturing and consulting industries. Participants in addition to heads of public procurement authorities bear the cost of their participation, including airfare, lodging, and boarding.

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