Eight executives and managers of various departments from the Société Malienne de Gestion de l’Eau Potable (Malian Drinking Water Management Utility) (SOMAGEP) carried out an important benchmarking mission to SONEB, the Société Nationale des Eaux du Bénin (Benin National Water Utility). The objective was to share with the Beninese executives, experiences and information, and especially to immerse themselves in the notable progress achieved by SONEB in the commercial, technical and production fields in order to improve their own knowledge and to implement them in their utility in Mali.

They were eight executives, namely: Abdul Aziz Traoré, Sidibé Gaoussou, Malick N’Diaye, Traoré Nouhoum, Dia Ramatoulaye, Camara Mahamadou, Nakhana Sissoko and Konaté Abdoulaye; a pole manager, branch and regional managers from the Malian sister company (SOMAGEP) who were hosted over a week, from Friday 4th to Friday 11th, December, 2015 by SONEB. And this within the framework of an important benchmarking mission decided and organized by their Company, SOMAGEP. The mission made it possible for the Malian executives of the drinking water and sanitation sector to share with their Beninese counterparts experiences and practices regarding network management, to exchange on the control of water station and laboratory, best practices regarding water treatment, business practices and portfolio management, customer satisfaction services. They seized this opportunity to carry out field visits to Vèdoko Water Plant, SONEB central laboratory in Cotonou, SONEB Water Trades Training Center etc. A very fruitful stay which permitted the aforementioned mission to realize the real progress achieved by SONEB and which they unanimously greeted the management, professionalism and operational capacities. SONEB Managing Director, David BABALOLA welcomed the Malian delegation at the end of the mission on Friday, December 11th, 2015 at the Head office. He welcomed the vision of SOMAGEP Management by authorizing this mission and he praised the co-operation spirit this mission was carried out with. For Mr. BABALOLA, the African water utilities should keep together so as to take up the sector related challenges which are common to all at various levels. Mr. Abdul Aziz Traoré, mission leader of the Malian delegation, expressed on behalf of his colleagues their gratitude to SONEB and its personnel for the warm reception and especially their open-mindedness which characterized the discussions during their mission.