Nasarawa To Address Infrastructure Deficit Through PPP

In a move to address infrastructure deficit in the state, the Nasarawa State Government has conducted a training for Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) on a new Public Private Partnership (PPP) framework.

The training which was conducted by the state’s Investment Development Agency (NASIDA), according to the agency’s managing director, Mr. Ibrahim Abdullahi, was meant to empower the MDAs with knowledge and tools to drive PPP for sustainable development in the state.

Represented by the head, Infrastructure Finance and PPP Team Lead of the agency, Mrs Mayowa Edgar, Abdullahi said the agency with the support of UK Nigeria Infrastructure Advisory Facility (UKNiAF), were able to develop some frameworks to mitigate those gaps and strengthen PPP in the state.

“ We developed the Nasarawa State Public Private Partnership Manual, Nasarawa State Public Private Partnership Fiscal Commitment and Contingent Liabilities (FCCL) framework as well as a disclosure portal.

“All these documents are geared towards strengthening PPPs in Nasarawa State and enhancing the State’s action for business enabling reforms,” he said.

He noted that the stakeholders’ engagement would enable understanding of the newly developed PPP manual and framework with a view to cascading same to others in order to properly do PPP for the benefit of the state.

He explained that NASIDA had been implementing PPP as enshrined in its establishment law since 2020, to mitigate infrastructure deficit and help accelerate development in the state.

He said the agency, however, identified some gaps in the delivery of the PPP in the state while overseeing and implementing PPP initiatives.

Also speaking at the event, Mr Ron Sircar, Project Manager, Infrastructure Finance, UKNiAF, appreciated Nasarawa State government and other stakeholders for the partnership in the project of developing the PPP documents.

Sircar said that the implementation of PPP using the new framework had resulted in stronger competitive bids, more efficient outcomes and actual movement towards ongoing PPP success in the state.

He said the state had taken the lead in PPP through the project and expressed hope that the gains would trickle down to other interesting states and bodies.