PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP AND ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE DELIVERY IN NIGERIA: LESSONS FROM THE LAGOS-IBADAN EXPRESSWAY

Abstract

The overwhelming consensus that PPP fosters accelerated, on-budget and value for money public infrastructure delivery dominates the literature on highway PPPs particularly in the developed world. The situation in developing countries like Nigeria, however, presents a contrary scenario, with several of the projects ending up failing. This paper historically reflected on the experience of the federal government with the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway PPP project. The aim was to identify and explain the failure factors, the consequences generated, and policy lessons for future road PPPs in Nigeria. The paper derived historical evidence from documentary secondary data sources like PPP contract documents, project evaluation reports, government publications, journal articles, publications from magazines and newspapers among others. Interviews were also conducted on eight intermediate members of staff of Federal Ministry of Works and Housing (FMWH) and Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) to provide backup evidence for the documentary data and buttress analysis and outcomes or results of the study. Findings indicate that environmental conditions such as politico-administrative machinery, legal-regulatory framework, economic cum financial deficits or weaknesses, feeble political will were among some of the fundamentals that undermined the success of PPP on the expressway. The paper recommended evolvement of the requisite PPP governance mechanism along with genuine political commitment encompassing community consultation and public enlightenment to douse opposition in the pursuit of future road PPP contracts in the country.