Ninth session of the “Experience Talks” series
On the morning of Saturday 24 May 2025, the National School of Administration, Journalism and Magistracy held the ninth session of the “Experience Talks” series, launched in early March by the School’s Director General, Dr Mohamed Yahya Ould Saïd, as part of the institution’s efforts to strengthen administrative and legal culture and institutional understanding among civil-servant trainees by learning from leading national figures in the judiciary, public administration, finance, diplomacy and the economy.
This session’s guest was former administrator and judge Mhamada Ould Memou, a graduate of the National School of Administration, who reviewed his rich career spanning senior posts in administration and the judiciary: from routine administrative management to important positions including regional governor, Director of Administration and Finance and then Secretary General of the Ministry of the Interior, and Director of Territorial Administration, before being appointed adviser to the administrative chamber of the Supreme Court.
In his presentation, he set out a number of principles and guidelines that civil servants should follow, stressing that choosing public service means committing to serve citizens and leaving a positive impression on everyone one deals with. He also emphasised the duty of discretion, a spirit of commitment and readiness to make sacrifices for the public good.
Speaking about management, he said: “The way of the State is the law; whoever strays from it has no excuse and will be held accountable under the law.” He urged trainees to learn the history of the country, especially of the areas they will be responsible for, and stressed the importance of harmony and cooperation between the prefect and the mayor, which directly affect the effectiveness of local administration.
The session drew lively participation from the trainees, who asked questions on a range of key issues, including major collective disputes and how to handle them, how administrators communicate with citizens and deal with their problems, border management, the 1963 agreement between Mauritania and Mali, advice for new civil servants and decentralisation.
At the end of the meeting, the School’s Director General, Dr Mohamed Yahya Ould Saïd, thanked the guest for his rich and inspiring presentation and stressed the value of learning from such outstanding national experiences. He encouraged the trainees to hold on to hope and ambition and to work hard, adding that “the administration is always looking for civil servants who are dedicated and stand out for their competence, discipline and sense of responsibility”, and that administrations compete to recruit them. He warned against discouragement and complacency, noting that civil servants are the mirror of their institution and must reflect its true image through their conduct and seriousness.
Several members of the School’s administrative and teaching staff attended alongside the Director General.
