Govt-Private Sector Collaboration Will Bridge Nigeria’s $2.3tn Infrastructure Deficit, Says VP Osinbajo

Nigeria Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has posited that collaboration between the Federal Government and the private sector will not only ensure effective coordination of the infrastructure development nationwide, and all sectors of the economy, but also bridge Nigeria’s $2.3 trillion infrastructural deficit.

According to him, this was the basis why the present government set up the National Council on Infrastructure (NCI) headed by him.

Osinbajo, who spoke Tuesday at the virtual inauguration of the Council which he presided over in Abuja, noted that the USD$2.3 Trillion estimated resource requirement for the National Integrated Infrastructure Master Plan implementation was too large to be provided from public resources alone.

According to him, a well-coordinated and strategic approach will be required to harness private resources to increase the stock of Nigeria’s infrastructure to the desired level by the year 2043.

The private sector, he added, is expected to play an increasingly important role either directly or in collaboration with the government through Public Private Partnership (PPP) with the Government providing a supportive environment with stable and transparent policies, rules and regulations.

Stressing the importance of private sector participation in infrastructural development, Osinbajo said the Reviewed National Integrated Infrastructure Master Plan (2020-2043) and the National Development Plan 2021-2025 also estimated the current nation’s infrastructure stock to be between 30-35 percent of the GDP in 2020 against 20 per cent of the GDP recorded at the inception of this administration in 2015 which is still a far cry from the estimated target of 70 per cent envisaged in 2043.

The Vice President stressed that for efficient and effective implementation of infrastructure projects, the National Integrated Infrastructure Master Plan recommended the establishment of the National Council on Infrastructure and its Technical Working Group (TWG).

He stated that the administration’s National Integrated Infrastructure Master Plan was developed to provide an integrated view of infrastructure development in Nigeria with clear linkages across key sectors and identifies enablers for successful implementation in line with the current economic realities.

The Vice President explained that the National Integrated Infrastructure Master Plan takes stock of existing infrastructure and specifically sets out the goal of raising Nigeria’s infrastructure stock to at least 70 percent by the year 2043.

He noted that, the success of the National Integrated Infrastructure Master Plan will depend, to a large extent, on the establishment of a strong implementation mechanism and framework that promotes performance and accountability.

Osinbajo added that the National Council on Infrastructure is to provide policy direction on infrastructure matters and drive the creation and sustenance of the expected synergy and linkages between the public and the private sector to enhance the implementation of the Infrastructure Master Plan, while the Technical Working Group is to provide guidance to the Council and advise on all infrastructure related matters.

Noting that the governance structure conforms with global best practice, he further stated that a well-coordinated and strategic approach will be required to harness private resources to increase the stock of Nigeria’s infrastructure to the desired level by the year 2043.

Despite substantial infrastructure deficits across the country, Osinbajo noted government’s investment in road, rail and power infrastructure for rapid economic development.

His words: “A fundamental feature of our Administration’s plan for the rapid development of the economy is a deliberate and massive investment in Infrastructure.

“They include the second Niger bridge, the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano Road (funded through the Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund); the construction and upgrading of about 5,000 km of major road projects across the country through the Sukuk bond.”

The Vice President also listed rail sector investments to include the Lagos Kano standard gauge lines, the Warri-Itakpe rail, “while in the energy sector, this Administration has green lit NLNG Train 7, invested in the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) pipeline and is on track to complete an incremental 4,000MW of generating assets (such as Zungeru Hydro and Kashimbilla Hydro) to complement systemic reforms and investments in the Distribution and Transmission segments of the electricity value chain.

“The Administration is investing more than $2 billion in Distribution and Transmission through the Siemens Presidential Power Initiative, the Transmission, Rehabilitation and Expansion Plan, the CBN finance Transmission-Distribution Interface Programme and the recently approved $500 million World Bank DISREP program for the Distribution segment.”

He recalled that the Federal Government last year launched the N15 trillion Infrastructure Corporation (InfraCorp Nigeria) and the President also signed Executive Order 7, which has informed right policy framework and created some opportunities for Public Private Partnership (PPP) in infrastructure development.

Other members of the NCI include Governor of Ekiti State and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum, Dr. Kayode Fayemi; Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Dr. (Mrs.) Zainab Ahmed; Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami; Works, Babatunde Fashola; Power, Abubakar Aliyu; Transportation, Mu’azu Jaji Sambo; Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami; Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu; Aviation, Hadi Sirika; Minister of State, Budget and National Planning, Prince Clem Agba; and Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Godwin Emefiele.

Others include the President of MAN, Mansur Ahmed; National President of Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), John Udeagbala; the Executive Vice Chairman/CEO, Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), Mr. Babatunde Irukera; Managing Director/CEO, Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA), Uche Orji; among others.

Deji Elumoye

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