Former Deputy Gov. urges Delta Govt. to adopt PPP in addressing infrastructural deficits
Former Deputy Gov. urges Delta Govt. to adopt PPP in addressing infrastructural deficits
PPP
By Edeki Igafe
Warri (Delta), March 9, 2020 (NAN) Former Deputy Governor of Delta, Prof. Amos Utuama, has urged the state government to adequately adopt the Public Private Partnership (PPP) economic model to address infrastructural deficits.
Utuama gave the advice while addressing participants at the 7th Public Lectures and Award Ceremony of the Association of Professional Bodies of Nigeria (APBN), Delta chapter, on Monday in Warri.
The event has as its theme, “Public-Private Partnership for Economic Development.’’
According to him, PPP is a marriage between the public and private sectors aimed at addressing infrastructural or service gap in society.
He said that beyond infrastructural dearth, the PPP model would improve the socio-economic well-being and people’s quality of life when properly utilised.
The don noted that government’s inability to respond efficiently and effectively to the needs of the people due to budget and competence deficits gave birth to PPP concept.
“It is generally believed that government’s role in the implementation of economic development policy is the provision of enabling environment to address infrastructure gaps and poverty, among others,’’ he said
The former deputy governor noted that the Federal Government enacted the Infrastructure Concession Regulation Commission (ICRC) Act ,2005, to back PPP and urged Delta government to domesticate it.
“We have the Urban and Regional Planning Law, 2003 in Delta, but we lack the political will and perhaps the resources and competence for purposeful implementation of the Law.
“Domesticating the ICRC Act will provide the Urban and Regional Planning board and the Local Planning Authorities the power to apply PPP strategy in performing their respective functions,” he said.
The Guest Speaker, Prof. Nathaniel Aniekwu, said that the key factor to achieving successful implementation of the partnership was the sharing of risks and responsibilities between both sectors.
Aniekwu said that the primary responsibilities assigned to the private sector partnership include design and implementation of physical assets and financing the project components, among others.
“The guiding principle adopted in identifying and allocating responsibilities is that the party best able to manage a particular activity should be responsible for the activity.
“And the party should receive the reward or losses associated with changes related to that activity,” he said.
Mr Paul Akporowho, Chairman, APBN, Delta chapter, in his opening remark, said that the association would continue to support the state by providing useful advice and inputs to stimulate development. (NAN)
EDI/CHIN/EMO
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Edited by Chinyere Bassey/Ejike Obeta