Nigeria's PPP Model Advocated for ECOWAS Collaboration

Dr. Jobson Oseodion Ewalefoh, the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), has called for enhanced public-private partnership (PPP) collaboration among ECOWAS member states. He emphasized that Nigeria has developed innovative PPP models, such as the Customs Modernisation Project, known as B’Odogwu, which has been adopted by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat for a $3.1 billion, 20-year concession.

This initiative aims to support a single continental market across approximately 50 AfCFTA member countries, benefiting around 1.3 billion people. Ewalefoh noted that Nigeria's port infrastructure could facilitate trade for landlocked West African countries and highlighted the potential of the Abidjan–Lagos Corridor Highway to connect major economic centers.

He urged regional governments and stakeholders to leverage successful PPP models to unlock capital and innovation for infrastructure development across Nigeria and Africa, stating that effective collaboration between government and the private sector is essential for achieving these goals.