The Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) has announced plans to audit all Public-Private Partnership (PPP) projects to ensure compliance with statutory insurance requirements and improve their performance. This was disclosed in a statement by Mr. Ifeanyi Nwoko, Acting Head of Media and Publicity at the ICRC, following a courtesy visit by Dr. Jobson Ewalefoh, Director-General of ICRC, to the Minister of Interior, Mr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo.
Dr. Ewalefoh emphasized that the Federal Government would ensure that all PPP projects are insured as stipulated by law, in accordance with the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission Establishment Act of 2005. He noted that the ICRC is working to evaluate the performance of existing PPP projects and would implement measures to enforce insurance compliance.
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“While we are not looking to terminate any agreements, our aim is to optimize the performance of all PPP projects. Ensuring that these assets are insured, as required by law, is a key area we will address soon,” Ewalefoh said.
The Director-General also announced that the commission plans to train PPP desk officers across Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to ensure compliance and improve project oversight. He further urged the Ministry of Interior to continue submitting projects for evaluation and clarification.
Minister Tunji-Ojo, in his remarks, praised the appointment of Ewalefoh as ICRC Director-General and highlighted the ministry’s reliance on PPPs to deliver critical infrastructure. He revealed that since his tenure began, the ministry had presented the highest number of PPP projects to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for approval, securing over $500 million in investments.
The minister stressed that with limited government resources and a growing population, PPPs offer a viable solution to financing and managing national infrastructure projects. “We believe many of our agencies should be self-reliant and operate off the government’s budget. The private sector has more resources, and with the right environment, they can help transform Nigeria,” he added.
Tunji-Ojo noted that the ministry has successfully leveraged private sector expertise and funding through key PPP initiatives, including the development of a data center, an e-gate system, and the Advanced Passenger Information System, with many more projects in the pipeline.
He further urged the ICRC to remain steadfast in its role of ensuring Nigeria takes full advantage of PPP opportunities, stating that the commission’s technical input has been invaluable to the ministry’s success in PPP execution.
Dr. Ewalefoh lauded the ministry’s efforts, describing Tunji-Ojo as a “PPP Ambassador” and reaffirming the government’s commitment to honoring contracts and ensuring that investor confidence in Nigeria remains strong.
