The Director-General of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), Jobson Ewalefoh, has called on private investors — both from within and outside the country — to take advantage of growing opportunities in Nigeria’s infrastructure sector. He assured them that “Nigeria is open for business and ready for partnership.”
Jobson made this call on Tuesday in Abuja during the 2025 Nigeria Public-Private Partnership Summit. The event was themed “Unlocking Nigeria’s Potential: The role of public-private partnerships in delivering the Renewed Hope Agenda.”
He explained that with a population of over 200 million people, a growing middle class, rich natural resources, and an enormous infrastructure gap — currently valued at over $2.3 trillion — the country offers a huge opportunity for investment and collaboration.
Jobson described the summit as more than just a meeting; it is a “rallying call for transformation, a platform for strategic convergence, and a bridge between national aspirations and tangible development.”
He said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration has made bold policy decisions to put infrastructure at the center of its Renewed Hope Agenda. The ICRC boss explained that under this policy framework, the federal government is using Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) to drive innovation, efficiency, and delivery of key projects across sectors.
“Your administration has demonstrated uncommon courage in embracing Public-Private Partnerships, not merely as a funding mechanism, but as a governance model that rewards innovation, efficiency, and accountability,” Jobson said.
Some of the key projects currently underway under this framework include the highway development and management initiative, MediPool medical infrastructure project, Ikere Gorge Dam, Borokiri Fishing Terminal, and the MEMS platform. According to Jobson, these initiatives show that the Renewed Hope Agenda is not a future plan — it is already happening.
He explained that the ICRC is using the summit to bring stakeholders together — from the public sector, private companies, development organizations, and civil society — to create a roadmap for delivering bankable projects and strengthening institutional collaboration.
Jobson pledged that the ICRC would align its regulation with facilitation and would be a strong supporter of viable, socially impactful transactions.
“At the ICRC, we are aligning regulation with facilitation, compliance with collaboration. We are committed to ensuring that every Public-Private Partnership transaction is not just legally sound, but economically viable and socially impactful,” Jobson said.
He assured investors and stakeholders that the ICRC would be there from the conceptualisation of projects to their financial close, guiding transactions and making sure that each venture benefits the people of Nigeria.
Jobson further stressed the necessity for collaboration and creativity to solve the country’s infrastructure deficit. He called upon both local businesses and international companies to view this moment as a huge opportunity to do well while also strengthening the future of the country.
The Director General made it clear that the federal government is determined to create a friendly environment for investors — reducing bottlenecks, improving policy consistency, and strengthening oversight — to make sure that partnerships produce real and lasting benefits for all.
With the ICRC fully committed to this mission, Jobson encouraged prospective investors to come forward, propose viable projects, and collectively drive the transformation of the country’s infrastructure.
