West African governments must expand the use of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) if they are to bridge the region's widening infrastructure deficit, Nigeria's infrastructure regulator has said, arguing that public finances alone can no longer meet growing demand for roads, railways, housing and other critical assets.
Speaking at the ECOWAS Infrastructure Forum in Abidjan, Director General of Nigeria's Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), Dr Jobson Oseodion Ewalefoh, said governments across the region should strengthen regulatory frameworks and develop bankable projects capable of attracting long-term private investment.
His remarks come as many African economies face mounting fiscal pressures, rising debt servicing costs and growing infrastructure needs that continue to outstrip available public funding.
Ewalefoh said PPPs have evolved beyond being an alternative procurement model, describing them as an increasingly important financing mechanism that allows governments to partner with private investors to develop, operate and maintain infrastructure while sharing project risks.
"We simply do not have enough public resources to develop every project through the solicited route," he said, adding that private-sector-led proposals could help governments expand their infrastructure pipeline while reducing the cost of project preparation.
