Photo caption: Director-General of the ICRC, Jobson Ewalefoh
The Director-General of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission, Jobson Ewalefoh, has called on private investors, both local and international, to seize emerging opportunities in Nigeria’s infrastructure sector, declaring the country “open for business and ready for partnership.”
Speaking at the Nigeria Public-Private Partnership Summit 2025 on Tuesday in Abuja, Jobson said the scale of Nigeria’s infrastructure deficit, estimated at over $2.3tn, offers one of the most compelling investment opportunities on the continent.
“Nigeria is open for business and more importantly, ready for partnership.
“With over 200 million people, a growing middle class, rich natural endowments, and an enormous infrastructure gap estimated at over $2.3 trillion, the case for PPPs in Nigeria is not only compelling, it is urgent,” the ICRC boss declared.
The event, themed “Unlocking Nigeria’s Potential: The role of public-private partnerships in delivering the Renewed Hope Agenda,” aims to co-create new frameworks, de-risk bankable projects, and strengthen our institutional alignment toward project delivery.
The ICRC DG, in his opening remark, described the summit as more than just a meeting of stakeholders, but “a rallying call for transformation, a platform for strategic convergence, and a bridge between national aspirations and tangible development.”
He said the Tinubu administration had taken bold steps to position infrastructure development at the core of its Renewed Hope Agenda, leveraging PPPs as a tool for inclusive growth, innovation, and accountability.
“Under your Renewed Hope Agenda, Nigeria has witnessed a bold recalibration of public policy, prioritising infrastructure as the engine of inclusive growth.
“Your administration has demonstrated uncommon courage in embracing Public-Private Partnerships, not merely as a funding mechanism, but as a governance model that rewards innovation, efficiency, and accountability,” he added.
According to the ICRC boss, several transformative projects are already underway under PPP arrangements, including the highway development and management initiative, the MediPool medical infrastructure project, the Ikere Gorge Dam, the Borokiri Fishing Terminal, and the MEMS platform.
“These projects are a clear sign that the Renewed Hope Agenda is no longer a vision deferred,” he noted.
He further explained that the PPP summit was designed to bring together stakeholders from the public sector, private investors, development partners, and civil society to co-create new frameworks, de-risk bankable projects, and improve institutional capacity for project delivery.
Jobson also pledged the Commission’s commitment to aligning regulation with facilitation and ensuring that every PPP transaction is not only legally sound but also economically viable and socially impactful.
“At the ICRC, we are aligning regulation with facilitation, compliance with collaboration. We are committed to ensuring that every PPP transaction is not just legally sound, but economically viable and socially impactful,” he said.
He assured investors of the Commission’s continued support throughout the project lifecycle, from conceptualisation to financial close.
