ICRC DG vows to streamline public-private partnership processes for infrastructural development

The Director General of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), Dr Jobson Oseodion Ewalefoh, has vowed to streamline processes required to deliver Public Private Partnerships (PPP) projects in order to accelerate infrastructure development and bridge the attendant gaps and stimulate the economy.

He said this at the weekend during a strategic retreat held in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state, where he rolled out a six-point policy direction as the new helmsman of the ICRC.

Ewalefoh, who disclosed that his policy direction was in line with the charge of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, said that in view of the infrastructure gaps in Nigeria, PPP was required in every sector, hence the need for critical steps in advancing its delivery.

He listed the key points of his policy direction to include: Innovative Financing, Service Delivery Optimisation, Project Categorisation, Time Bound Delivery of Projects, Inter-Agency Collaboration as well as Strategic Partnerships. “With the gap that we have in Nigeria, we need PPPs in almost every area, and PPPs go beyond building infrastructure, Service is a very key component of Infrastructure building.

“Even if we don’t build infrastructure, if we optimise the existing ones, what we will get will be novel, and the impact we will create will be so huge. “If we use PPP to optimise the general hospitals that we have, what it will give us will be phenomenal,” he said.

The retreat featured key resource persons, including Prof. George Nwangwu, Dr Niyi Onamusi, Mr. Rotimi Teteye and Dr. Itunu Akinware, among others.

Speaking further on his policy direction, he said that financing infrastructure would be a key focus for the Commission, pointing out that Innovative Financing was the core of PPPs.

Ewalefoh hinted that he was already in talks with potential investors who were interested in knowing how safe and profitable investments would be as well as a possible timeline for delivering the projects.

Citing the Nigerian Integrated Infrastructure Masterplan (NIIMP), he said that the nation’s infrastructure was weak and required financing to revolutionise the economy, adding that it was in view of the need for finance that the Commission will focus on building financial infrastructure in an innovative way.

“I am going to be involved in strategic partnerships, I will work closely with Ministers, Permanent Secretaries and Chief Executive Officers of Agencies. I am going to lead from the front on most of these partnerships and collaborations.

“When you lead from the front, you mobilise others to do the same. When I said I am leading from the front, it is because I want decision making to be faster and to reduce the time required to deliver projects,” he said.

Ewalefoh said that part of his direction would be to optimise the processes of the Commission to focus on service delivery. He said that when we know what we want to achieve, then we can set up tailor-made processes to achieve them.

On already existing PPP projects, the DG said that the Commission will evaluate all concession contracts to ensure the projects were performing optimally, while ensuring the projects are a win-win for both the private investor and the government.

The Director General said that the message to all stakeholders, investors, strategic partners and all Nigerians is that the ICRC is open for business.

He reiterated his desire to categorise projects as a means of ensuring more efficient project delivery within improved timelines; these categorisations will be achieved through the development of PPP project thresholds.

The DG said that the Commission will, within the ambit of the law, resolve all encumbrances that hamper the execution of projects so long as such projects are bankable and viable, important to the Nigerian people and deliver value for money.

“I will take Very Bold decisions, I will,” he said.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu appointed Dr Ewalefoh in July with a charge to attract private sector funds to boost infrastructure development using PPPs. The Senate has long confirmed his appointment in accordance with the law.

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