President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to fast-tracking approvals for viable infrastructure projects across Nigeria, stressing that citizens care more about access to basic services than political promises.
He spoke through Vice President Kashim Shettima at the 2025 Nigeria Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Summit held at the State House Conference Centre in Abuja.
Mr Tinubu urged the private sector to prioritise innovation, efficiency, and integrity over capital alone.
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“What matters to the average Nigerian is not promises, but power in their homes, roads to their farms, access to clean water, modern hospitals, and quality schools,” the President stated.
“We must build. We must deliver. And we must do it together.”
He said his government would strengthen collaboration between the public and private sectors, describing it as essential to delivering sustainable and inclusive development.
He also pledged that projects emerging from the summit would not be trapped in bureaucracy or left unexecuted.
“We will fast-track approvals for viable projects and ensure coordination across ministries, departments, and agencies to support swift implementation,” Mr Tinubu said.
He emphasised that Nigeria’s infrastructure aspirations surpass what the public budget alone can accommodate, adding that the old model of public-only funding was no longer tenable.
According to him, Nigeria presents unmatched opportunities in terms of scale, demand, and returns.
“We are offering opportunities to create value. We seek long-term partners ready to help us bridge our infrastructure gap with purpose and precision,” he said.
Mr Tinubu noted that his administration had strengthened the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) to properly regulate and de-risk PPP transactions.
He cited reforms such as subsidy removal, foreign exchange liberalisation, and enhanced revenue mobilisation as actions taken to build a stable economic foundation.
Declaring the summit open, he called on participants to ensure it was remembered for “bankable projects, signed deals, and enduring progress,” rather than speeches.
Earlier, Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, praised the ICRC for driving impactful projects across sectors, while Director-General of the commission, Jobson Ewalefoh, described the summit as a platform to ‘de-risk bankable projects’ and align national aspirations with tangible development.
Dahlia Khalifa, Regional Director for Central Africa & Anglophone West Africa at the International Finance Corporation (IFC), applauded Nigeria’s reform efforts and noted the government’s progress in dispute resolution within PPPs.
She reaffirmed the IFC’s ongoing support for Nigeria’s development goals.
Solomon Quaynor, Vice-President for Private Sector, Infrastructure and Industrialisation at the African Development Bank (AfDB), emphasised the necessity of government-private sector partnerships, citing the bank’s involvement in the Lagos-Abidjan highway as an example of regional integration.
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Zitto Alfayo, Director & Global Head of Project Preparation at Afreximbank, observed that limited public resources had made PPPs indispensable, noting that the bank had disbursed over $50 million to support investments across energy, transport, manufacturing, healthcare and financial services in Nigeria.
Dignitaries present at the event included Cross River State Governor Bassey Otu, Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, Jigawa State Deputy Governor Aminu Usman, and several federal ministers.
The summit, according to stakeholders, signalled a clear commitment by the Mr Tinubu administration to reposition Nigeria’s infrastructure landscape through deeper collaboration between the government and the private sector.
