Successful PPPs will fast-track development in Nigeria -Diko

Mr Aminu Diko , the Director-General, Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), on Thursday said that successful implementation of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) projects would fast-track development in the country.

Diko, who was represented by Mr Emmanuel Onwodi, the Head, Special Projects, ICRC, said this at the second quarter PPP units forum in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the forum is organised by ICRC every quarter to provide a knowledge and experience sharing platform for heads of PPP units in federal agencies.

Diko said that the fiscal realities in Nigeria underscored the continued need to explore alternative financing of critical projects.

“We at ICRC appreciate the level of compliance by MDAs towards achieving our main objective: bridging the infrastructural gap in our dear country through PPP’s.

“ PPP is not only an option to bridge this gap, but a chance to prove to the world we can also be part of the national development race,’’ he said.

Diko reiterated the commission’s commitment to developing PPP arrangements and concessions in partnership with relevant agencies to bridge the infrastructure deficit in the country.

Mr Ibrahim Kwajafa, the Executive Director, Border Communities Development Agency (BCDA), said the agency was concerned about successful implementation of bankable projects within its purview.

He harped on the need to provide infrastructure in border communities igrappling with lack of basic economic and social infrastructure.

“The Agency is mandated to provide basic infrastructure to the numerous border communities located in 21 states and 105 local government areas of the federation, with an estimated population of 25 million.

“This requires a robust PPP practice in order to achieve any meaningful result.

“Considering the problems of most MDAs in developing bankable documents and given the limited knowledge of handling PPPs, I call on the ICRC to consolidate its training efforts for PPPs,’’ he said.

Kwajafa said the immediate need of the agency was to attract large scale capital investments to Borno State that was in drastic need of rehabilitation.