FEC Approves PPP Projects in Transport, Power

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved three major Public-Private Partnership (PPP) projects to strengthen Nigeria’s infrastructure and boost economic growth.

The projects include a Smart National Transport Data Bank under the Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology, and two Independent Power Projects (IPPs) at the Onne Port Complex in Rivers State and the Apapa Port Complex in Lagos.

The approvals followed regulatory oversight by the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), which reviewed business cases, guided negotiations, and certified the projects before presenting them to FEC.

ICRC Director-General Jobson Ewalefoh said: “Nigeria’s biggest transport challenge is not just infrastructure, it is the lack of reliable, usable data.

The National Transport Data Bank lays the foundation for a data-driven transport system that improves planning, enforcement, and efficiency.”

The transport data bank will integrate real-time information across road, rail, air, and marine systems, using technologies like vehicle tagging and automated number plate recognition to support traffic management and enforcement.

On power, Ewalefoh explained that the Onne IPP (50MW) will provide stable electricity to the port and Oil and Gas Free Zone, while the Apapa IPP (36MW hybrid mix) will reduce energy costs and improve reliability at Nigeria’s busiest port.

“These are not just power projects; they are productivity enablers,” he said.

In a related development, the ICRC and the Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism, and the Creative Economy began discussions on PPP-driven tourism infrastructure projects, including a seven-star hotel, a modern entertainment arena, revitalised museums, and collaborations with Netflix.

Minister Hannatu Musawa noted that Nigeria’s creative economy could contribute $100bn to GDP by 2030, but critical infrastructure gaps must be addressed.

“Nigeria is known for its music, fashion, and food, yet we do not have the infrastructure to host the world,” she said.