New Guidelines Issued to Govern PPP Projects in Nigeria
By Patience Ikpeme
The Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) has released a new set of guidelines to govern the development and implementation of all Public-Private Partnership (PPP) projects in Nigeria.
The new framework, released under the ICRC Act, 2005, aims to reform Nigeria’s infrastructure delivery processes and attract private sector investment.
The guidelines were formally launched during a high-level stakeholders’ meeting with representatives from federal ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) directly involved in PPPs. The new rules provide clear directions for preparing the Outline Business Case (OBC), Full Business Case (FBC), and financial models.
They also guide procurement routes and introduce new project approval thresholds: under N20 billion for ministries and under N10 billion for parastatals and agencies.
The Director-General of the ICRC, Dr. Jobson Oseodion Ewalefoh, stated that the new guidelines are a direct response to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s vision to liberalize the economy. “The new guidelines are in response to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s vision to liberalise the economy and in line with his charge to the ICRC to seek innovative ways to attract private sector finance to build infrastructure through PPPs,” he said.
Dr. Ewalefoh explained that the new framework decentralizes project approvals, giving MDAs more power for faster project delivery. He emphasized that every PPP project, regardless of its size or sector, must adhere to these provisions. “Every PPP project — regardless of sector, scale, or origin — must strictly comply with these provisions. Every project shall be subjected to our due diligence and compliance requirements,” he said.
The DG also clarified the ICRC’s role as a regulator, not an operator, and noted that the delegation of greater approval authority to MDAs comes with “heightened accountability and zero tolerance for non-compliance.”
The ICRC said it is committed to collaborating with MDAs, private investors, and development partners to position Nigeria as a top destination for bankable and transformative PPP projects in Africa.
The participants at the engagement expressed their support for the reforms and indicated their readiness to begin implementing the new guidelines immediately.
