Engineers have raised concerns that favouritism in awarding contracts is undermining the transparency and integrity of the Public-Private Partnership process.
The former Registrar of the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria, Dr Felix Atume, made this observation at the Nigerian Academy of Engineering 2025 yearly lecture entitled ‘Bridging infrastructure gap in Nigeria: the role of the private sector’ in Lagos.
He said, “Corruption significantly affects the integrity of PPP processes. The problems are the non-transparent procurement, favouritism in awarding contracts, and manipulation of concession agreements. The impact is that it discourages reputable international investors and undermines value-for-money outcomes.”
Relaying this to the infrastructural deficit in the country, Atume noted that despite the recognised potential of Public-Private Partnerships to bridge Nigeria’s vast infrastructure deficit, particularly in the road sector, several critical barriers have undermined their effectiveness.
He said, “A review of Nigeria’s experience shows the following major challenges: Nigeria’s legal environment for PPP remains underdeveloped and fragmented.
Although the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission Act of 2005 provides a foundation, it is not sufficiently robust to support complex and long-term PPP arrangements.
“There is a lack of harmonised and comprehensive PPP legislation at federal, state, and local government levels. Uncertainties in laws governing concessions, land rights, and dispute resolution make enforcement difficult. The legal uncertainty discourages private investors who require predictable and enforceable frameworks to safeguard their investments.
“The Nigerian PPP institutional architecture suffers from weak coordination and excessive bureaucracy, and the problems are overlapping responsibilities among government agencies, protracted approval processes, and inadequate technical expertise to design, evaluate, and manage PPP contracts impact. These factors lead to significant delays, increased transaction costs, and investors disinterest.
“In addition, frequent political changes and weak governance structures result in disruptions of existing PPP contracts, creating a high-risk environment for private investors. Premature termination of concession agreements and politicisation of project decisions undermine investor confidence. Investors face heightened political risks, which often results in demands for higher returns to compensate for uncertainty.”
In his goodwill message, the Governor of Kaduna State, Uba Sani, represented by the Commissioner for Education, Prof. Abubakar Sambo, urged the NAEng to remain committed to promoting excellence and advancement in engineering science, practice, and technology and related disciplines to bridge the huge infrastructure gap in the country.
Meanwhile, addressing the forum, the President of NAEng, Prof. Rahamon Bello, commended the Federal Government for its bold infrastructure initiatives and the recent Local Content Policy of the government.
He said for the infrastructural development to be sustainable, indigenous ownership and replicability were essential and therefore called on Mr President for deliberate policy to support the development of indigenous engineering enterprises and groups that can make this sustainable.
“Another area requiring urgent attention is infrastructure maintenance. Over the years, it has become obvious that it is not enough to just put up infrastructure; adequate provisions must be made for its maintenance, or else there will be continuing repeated expenditure on the same projects. We urge both the government and the National Assembly to come up with a robust strategy and provision for maintenance of our infrastructure annually, be it roads, buildings, or dams,“ he said.
He noted that a project that has been on the burner for the academy over the years is the resuscitation of the Technical and Vocational Education and Training, adding that a few years ago, the academy embarked on a pilot initiative at the Federal Science and Technical School, Yaba, with the support of the Nigerian Ports Authority.
The scheme, he revealed, highlighted the urgent need to correct the inverted engineering manpower pyramid in Nigeria, which has led to the dearth of skilled artisans and technicians over the years.
“We commend the Federal Government’s recent commitment to skill development for the teeming youths of the nation, a step that will boost economic growth and national productivity. The Nigerian Academy of Engineering will continue its advocacy and activities for the promotion of TVET through the Joint Consultative Committee formed under the recently signed Memorandum of Understanding with four institutions: TETFund, NSE, COREN, and NBTE.”
He also assured that the Nigerian Academy of Engineering will continue to be a think tank, advancing and promoting science, engineering, technology and innovation in Nigeria.
The forum attracted presentation life achievement awards to eight fellows who have attained the age of 75 and the induction of 12 new fellows. They include Engr. Dr Abubakar Abu Adama, Engr. Chukwuwike Chigbo Iluno, Engr. (Mrs) Nnoli Akpedeye, Engr. Saidu Aliyu Mohammed, Engr. Dr Ismaila Mohammed Amodu, Engr. Dr Adeolu Olarewaju Odusote, and Engr. Lamu Audu.
