ICRC DG urges West African governments to expand PPPs to bridge infrastructure gap

By Taiwo Scholarstica

The Director-General of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), Jobson Ewalefoh, has called on governments across West Africa to adopt Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) as a key strategy for addressing the region’s growing infrastructure deficit.

He stated that governments can no longer depend solely on public funds to finance critical infrastructure such as roads, railways, housing, water systems, and other projects needed to stimulate economic growth.

Ewalefoh made the appeal during a panel session at the ECOWAS Infrastructure Forum in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, according to a statement issued on Sunday by the Acting Head of Media and Publicity of the ICRC, Ifeanyi Nwoko.

He noted that the massive infrastructure gap across West Africa has made stronger collaboration with the private sector essential, describing PPPs as the most sustainable model for attracting long-term investment and improving infrastructure delivery.
According to the African Development Bank Group, Africa requires between 130 billion and170 billion annually to meet its infrastructure needs but faces a financing shortfall of between 68 billion and 108 billion each year, a funding gap that continues to slow economic growth, regional trade, and industrialization.

To address these challenges, Ewalefoh disclosed that Nigeria has strengthened its PPP framework by introducing clear eligibility requirements, structured governance processes, the Swiss Challenge procurement method, non-refundable application fees, and performance bonds.

These measures ensure that only credible and financially viable unsolicited projects move to implementation.

He explained that although unsolicited proposals are initiated by private investors, they are subjected to the same rigorous assessment and approval procedures as government-sponsored projects.

Calling for greater support from development partners, the ICRC Director-General expressed concern that many international financiers are willing to fund completed infrastructure projects but remain reluctant to invest in preparing viable projects from the planning stage.

He argued that if stakeholders agree that Africa lacks bankable projects, development partners must look toward investing in project preparation, which is precisely the gap unsolicited proposals help to fill.

Ewalefoh stressed that the region’s increasing demand for infrastructure requires innovative financing models that take into account West Africa’s economic realities and fiscal challenges.

He also advocated stronger collaboration among ECOWAS member states through the establishment of a regional network of national PPP institutions to build technical capacity, encourage knowledge sharing, and harmonize standards for project evaluation and implementation.

According to him, closer regional cooperation would improve the credibility of PPP transactions by promoting common assessment standards and enhancing information sharing on cross-border infrastructure projects and unsolicited proposals with regional implications.

The panel session featured representatives from Ghana, Senegal, and Côte d’Ivoire, who shared their respective countries’ experiences in using PPPs to accelerate infrastructure development and attract private investment.

Participants at the forum agreed that these partnerships remain the most effective mechanism for mobilizing private capital, reducing West Africa’s infrastructure deficit, and promoting sustainable economic growth across the sub-region.

Ewalefoh reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to strengthening its PPP ecosystem through transparent regulation, sound governance, and innovative project development frameworks capable of attracting credible private investment into critical infrastructure.