The federal government has reaffirmed its commitment to
unlocking Nigeria’s infrastructure potential through robust public-private
partnerships (PPPs), calling on investors to seize emerging opportunities in
Africa’s largest economy.
Vice-President Kashim Shettima spoke at the opening ceremony
of the 2025 Nigeria public-private partnership (PPP) summit on Tuesday in
Abuja.
The summit was themed ‘Unlocking Nigeria’s Potential: The
Role of Public-Private Partnerships in Delivering the Renewed Hope Agenda’.
Speaking at the event, Shetimma said Nigeria can no longer
rely on outdated models of infrastructure delivery.
“We cannot build a 21st-century economy on 20th-century
infrastructure,” he said.
“Our national aspirations far exceed what public budgets
alone can deliver. We are not looking for investors to carry burdens — we are
offering opportunities to create value.”
Shettima said the administration had taken decisive steps to
improve the enabling environment for private capital by strengthening the
Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) and streamlining
bureaucratic processes.
“Our reforms — from subsidy removal to FX liberalisation and
revenue optimisation — have laid a stable foundation,” he said.
“We’re improving transparency, aligning with global best
practices, and fast-tracking approvals for viable projects.”
The vice-president urged investors to look beyond the risks
and recognise the scale of opportunity in Nigeria, citing a population of over
200 million, a growing middle class, and an infrastructure gap estimated at
$2.3 trillion.
“Nigeria offers scale, demand, and returns like no other
African market. But we need more than investment — we need innovation,
efficiency, and integrity,” the politician said.
“Let this summit be remembered not for fine speeches but for
bankable projects, signed deals, and enduring progress.”
Also speaking at the summit, Jobson Ewalefoh,
director-general of the ICRC, said the government’s infrastructure ambitions
can only be achieved through strategic partnerships.
“With a $2.3 trillion infrastructure deficit, the case for
PPPs in Nigeria is not only compelling — it is urgent,” Ewalefoh said.
The ICRC boss described the summit as “a rallying call for
transformation and a bridge between national aspirations and tangible
development.”
He praised the Tinubu administration for “repositioning
infrastructure” at the centre of the ‘Renewed Hope’ agenda and embracing PPPs
as “not just a funding mechanism but a governance model that rewards
innovation, efficiency, and accountability”.
Ewalefoh said ongoing PPP projects in the country are the
highway development and management initiative, the MediPool medical
infrastructure scheme, the Ikere gorge dam project, the Borokiri fishing
terminal, and the MEMS platform.
“These projects show that the Renewed Hope Agenda is no
longer a vision deferred,” he said.
He added that the ICRC is committed to aligning regulation
with facilitation and ensuring that every PPP transaction is legally sound,
economically viable, and socially impactful.
Ewalefoh said the commission will “support investors across
the entire lifecycle of their projects from conception to financial close”.
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