The Director-General of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission, Jobson Ewalefoh, has called on West African countries to adopt Public-Private Partnerships as a key strategy for addressing the region’s infrastructure deficit.
Speaking at the ECOWAS Infrastructure Forum in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, Ewalefoh said governments can no longer rely solely on public funding to provide critical infrastructure such as roads, railways, housing and water facilities.
He said Public-Private Partnerships offer governments access to private sector financing, innovation and technical expertise while ensuring more efficient project delivery and risk sharing.
The ICRC Director General noted that Nigeria has strengthened its PPP framework through transparent regulations, the Swiss Challenge procurement model, strict eligibility criteria and performance bonds to attract credible private investment.
Ewalefoh also urged development partners to invest more in project preparation to increase the number of bankable infrastructure projects across Africa.
He further called for stronger collaboration among ECOWAS member states through a regional network of PPP institutions to enhance technical capacity, harmonise standards and promote cross-border infrastructure development.
Participants at the forum agreed that Public-Private Partnerships remain the most viable approach to mobilising private investment and closing West Africa’s infrastructure gap.
(Editor: Nkoli Omhoudu)
