President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani Holds Extensive Meeting with Regional Governors to Assess Public Administration and Service Delivery
This Thursday, His Excellency President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani convened a lengthy meeting with governors from various regions of the country. The session focused on following up on decisions from previous meetings, evaluating the performance of regional and local administrations, and assessing the quality of services provided to citizens. The meeting also provided an opportunity to review the progress of public policy implementation at the local level within the framework of the presidential program “My Ambition for the Nation”, particularly the urgent program for expanding access to basic services, recently launched by the President in the Hodh El Chargui region.
At the beginning of the meeting, the President emphasized the importance of the topics addressed during his recent visit to Hodh El Chargui. He noted that, although some discussions concerned local and regional issues, their broader purpose is directed at citizens across the nation and at public officials as primary actors responsible for consolidating a state of citizenship and the rule of law.
The discussions particularly focused on citizenship, underlining the need, in a state based on law and citizenship, to prioritize fostering a sense of national belonging over narrower affiliations—whether tribal, regional, sectoral, or group-based. This requires treating all residents equally as citizens with the same rights and responsibilities, regardless of any other considerations or backgrounds.
The President stressed that governors and other regional administration officials must fully assume their responsibilities to decisively promote citizenship and firmly address behaviors that contradict this goal, regardless of their source. He clarified that this does not target traditional social structures, but rather negative manifestations that conflict with national unity, challenge state authority or sovereignty, or impede development programs. This includes issues such as attempts to monopolize farmland, water points, wells, or restrict the exploitation of natural resources.
The meeting included contributions from all governors regarding the implementation of directives from the previous session, particularly on topics such as the Republican School system, informal settlements, pasture protection, migration and residence of foreigners, and agriculture, with a focus on the optimal use of equipment provided to regional authorities.
His Excellency urged the governors, as representatives of the President and the government, to contribute beyond their traditional roles by raising awareness of state priorities, policies, and programs. He highlighted that administration is the main mechanism for implementing public policies at the local level in service of citizens and development, in line with the participatory development approach currently adopted, which requires intensified efforts in direct communication with citizens and field visits to administrative departments.
The President instructed the government to take necessary measures to respond positively to issues and urgent requests raised by the governors within the competence of each concerned ministry and to strengthen future coordination between central and regional authorities.
This meeting is part of a broader community-focused initiative pledged by His Excellency the President, aimed at serving the Mauritanian people and state by building an effective, professional, and credible public administration. The initiative seeks to enhance stability, consolidate justice, and accelerate government program implementation to ensure the administration can efficiently serve citizens and support national development.
