President Bola Tinubu has approved a major overhaul of Nigeria’s public-private partnership (PPP) project approval process, allowing for the decentralisation of approvals to facilitate faster infrastructure development.
The directive empowers the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) to implement new approval thresholds for PPP projects handled by ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs). Under the new framework, project approval boards (PABs) within MDAs can now internally approve PPP initiatives—up to N10 billion for parastatals and N20 billion for ministries—provided they adhere to ICRC guidelines and receive compliance certification.
Announcing the reform in Abuja on Sunday, ICRC Director-General, Jobson Ewalefoh, described the presidential directive as “a game-changer for Nigeria’s infrastructure ecosystem.”
Previously, all PPP projects—regardless of scope or value—required approval from the Federal Executive Council (FEC), a process that often led to delays and limited the ability of MDAs to execute timely infrastructure projects.
“Only projects exceeding the new thresholds or involving multiple MDAs will now require FEC approval,” Ewalefoh clarified.
He stressed that all qualifying PPP projects must be wholly financed by private entities, without any government financial obligations or guarantees. “Notwithstanding the new thresholds, every PPP project must be submitted to the ICRC for review and certification. The ICRC must issue certificates of compliance before any PPP project can be approved by the PAB and other approving bodies,” he added.
The reform is in line with President Tinubu’s broader efforts to revamp Nigeria’s public procurement and infrastructure financing frameworks.
According to Ewalefoh, the decentralised system is expected to catalyse the delivery of “low-value but high-impact” projects across critical sectors such as health, education, agriculture, and housing.
“With this framework, we expect private sector-led investments in projects like rural diagnostic centres, school blocks, student hostels, and affordable housing to be delivered faster, with less bureaucracy,” he noted.
He further stated that the new system replaces the outdated one-size-fits-all model with a more flexible, scale-sensitive approach that accommodates diverse project needs.
“This approval is a game-changer, especially for sectors like health, education, agriculture, and housing,” he reiterated. “By decentralising approvals, the government is supporting and unlocking investment opportunities through improved capital inflows, job creation, and faster project delivery—exactly what we need in this current economic climate.”
Ewalefoh reaffirmed the ICRC’s commitment to promoting, guiding, facilitating, and regulating the PPP ecosystem in collaboration with other stakeholders across the country’s infrastructure landscape.
