President Tinubu Urges Private Sector to Bridge Nigeria's Infrastructure Gap

Strategic Insights -

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu recently emphasized the need for the private sector to play a central role in bridging Nigeria's infrastructure gap, declaring that public-only funding models are no longer sustainable. Speaking at the 2025 Nigeria Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Summit, Tinubu called for innovative, long-term partnerships to deliver inclusive and sustainable infrastructure across the country. The event was organized by the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), and various stakeholders, including the International Finance Corporation (IFC), African Export-Import Bank, and the African Development Bank (AfDB), emphasized the importance of a stable and predictable business environment to attract investment. The summit aimed to unlock Nigeria's potential through Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), with a focus on delivering the Renewed Hope Agenda.

Key Takeaways:

  • President Tinubu urged the private sector to bridge Nigeria's infrastructure gap, calling for innovative, long-term partnerships to deliver inclusive and sustainable infrastructure.
  • The president emphasized the need to remove bureaucratic bottlenecks and streamline processes to accelerate project delivery under the PPP framework.
  • The Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) has been strengthened to ensure better regulation, coordination, and de-risking of PPP transactions in line with global best practices.
  • The National Integrated Infrastructure Master Plan (NIIMP 2020-2043) aims to increase Nigeria's infrastructure stock from 30 to 35 percent of GDP to at least 70 percent by 2043.
  • The ICRC is committed to ensuring that PPP projects are legally sound, economically viable, and socially impactful, aligning regulation with facilitation and compliance with collaboration.
  • President Tinubu's administration has taken deliberate steps to strengthen the ICRC, endorsing streamlined processes to fast-track PPP projects, while directing all MDAs to strictly comply with the ICRC Act and guidelines.
  • The summit aimed to co-create frameworks that will de-risk investments and scale infrastructure delivery, and the ICRC reaffirmed its commitment to walk with investors from project conception to financial close.

Statistics:

  • Nigeria's infrastructure deficit is estimated at over $2.3 trillion (Source: ICRC)
  • The country has a rising middle class and vast natural resources, with over 200 million people (Source: ICRC)
  • The ICRC has been strengthened to ensure better regulation, coordination, and de-risking of PPP transactions, in line with global best practices (Source: ICRC)
  • The National Integrated Infrastructure Master Plan (NIIMP 2020-2043) aims to increase Nigeria's infrastructure stock from 30 to 35 percent of GDP to at least 70 percent by 2043 (Source: President Tinubu's speech)
  • The Dasin Hausa Dam in Adamawa State is a critical project that has been fast-tracked by the Federal Executive Council (Source: ICRC)

Sources:

  • President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's speech at the 2025 Nigeria Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Summit
  • ICRC Director General Dr. Jobson Oseodion Ewalefoh's speech at the 2025 Nigeria Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Summit
  • International Finance Corporation (IFC) Regional Director Dahlia Khalifa's comments at the 2025 Nigeria Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Summit
  • African Export-Import Bank Vice-President, Private Sector, Infrastructure and Industrialisation, Solomon Quaynor's comments at the 2025 Nigeria Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Summit