ICRC: Governments Can't Solely Fund Infrastructure Projects

Dr. Jobson Oseodion Ewalefoh, the Director General of the Infrastructural Concessions Regulatory Commission (ICRC), addressed the need for public-private partnerships (PPP) in funding infrastructure projects across Africa.

Speaking during a panel session at the ECOWAS Infrastructure Forum in Abidjan, he noted that state governments alone cannot finance these projects. Ewalefoh highlighted that PPPs have become essential alternatives to traditional public procurement methods, enabling governments to partner with the private sector to finance and maintain infrastructure.

He stated that there is a continuous need for public resources across the African region, and governments must create an enabling environment to attract greater private sector participation through a transparent regulatory framework and bankable projects. Ewalefoh also mentioned that the government will continue to identify and prioritize infrastructure projects through the conventional PPP process and that opportunities exist to expand the pipeline of projects through unsolicited proposals initiated by the private sector.