TOP African policy makers will be gathering in Arusha this week to examine ways of elevating the role of social security funds in addressing Africa’s infrastructure and service delivery gaps.

Ridhiwani Kikwete, the Labour, Youth, Employment and Persons with Disabilities state minister in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), said at a media briefing in Dar es Salaam at the weekend that Vice President Dr Philip Mpango is on Thursday expected to open the summit.

This event, the 14th annual conference of Africa social protection policy makers is slated to starting Wednesday with a ministers’ conclave and formally open the next day, up to Saturday.

The summit is jointly coordinated by the National Social Security Fund (NSSF), the Public Service Social Security Fund (PSSSF) and the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF).

Others are the Workers’ Compensation Fund (WCF), the Zanzibar Social Security Fund (ZSSF) and the Zanzibar Health and Social Security Fund (ZHSF), with its key theme being social security funds as catalysts for infrastructure development and inclusive socio‑economic growth in Africa.

The summit is a major continental gathering bringing together high-ranking officials and sector experts from 15 African countries, with the high-level consultation being hosted by the Africa Social Security Association (ASSA), he said.

The summit will convene policy-makers, sector administrators, regulators, infrastructure and finance ministers, parliamentary committees, international development partners and diplomatic missions, he specified.

Administrators and practitioners from across Africa’s social protection sector will deliberate on the sector’s potential to significantly contribute to infrastructure development and delivery of essential social services, he further stated.

The summit will feature expert-led sessions to explore how pension and social insurance funds can be leveraged to finance major infrastructure and strategic investment projects across the continent, he said.

In line with the broader investment agenda, the forum will serve as a platform to highlight investment opportunities particularly in high-impact sectors such as energy, transport and health infrastructure, he said. 

It will also facilitate learning exchanges among member states on reform models and innovations in social protection systems, he explained, hinting that the conference will start with ministers meeting on 9th July and the proper conference start a day later.

The ministers will deliberate on social protection, finance and infrastructure policy spheres, in the background of the proposed establishment of an African Economic Development Fund “to be capitalised through contributions from national social security institutions.” he declared.

ASSA comprises social security institutions from Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, South Sudan, Comoros, Sierra Leone, Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Mali and Namibia, with the breadth of the member states expected to send high-level delegations to the conference.

In addition to national delegations, participants will include representatives from the African Union, regional and multilateral economic communities such as SADC, the International Labour Organization (ILO), the International Social Security Association (ISSA), employer and workers’ associations along with international development agencies.

Othman Masoud Othman, the Zanzibar First Vice President, is expected to preside at the closing ceremony on Saturday, he added.