Cross River, Ondo Governors Champion PPPs as Pivotal for Nigeria’s Economic Transformation at 2025 Summit

Governor Bassey Otu of Cross River State and Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State have strongly advocated for Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), hailing them as indispensable catalysts for accelerating growth and addressing critical development challenges across Nigeria. Their unified stance was articulated during the high-profile 2025 Nigeria Public-Private Partnership Summit, which concluded on Friday after two days of intensive deliberations at the State House Conference Centre and Transcorp Hilton in Abuja.

The summit, themed “Unlocking Nigeria’s Potential: The Role of Public-Private Partnerships in Delivering the Renewed Hope Agenda,” gathered policymakers, investors, and industry leaders from within and outside the country. It served as a platform to explore innovative financing and collaborative strategies to bridge Nigeria’s significant infrastructure deficit.

In his intervention, Governor Otu underscored the immense potential of PPPs in attracting private sector investment, expertise, and efficiency. He emphasized that these partnerships are crucial for delivering essential infrastructure projects, stimulating economic growth, and ultimately enhancing the quality of life for Nigerians. Governor Otu specifically highlighted the ambitious $3.5 billion Bakassi Deep Seaport project in Cross River State, noting its imperative to increase national port capacity and position Nigeria as a trans-shipment hub for sub-Saharan Africa amidst increasing port congestion.

Similarly, Governor Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State detailed the immense benefits of PPPs, including infrastructure development, increased efficiency, job creation, economic growth, and capacity building. He drew attention to the $1.3 billion Ondo Seaport, a multipurpose project designed to transform his state’s economy, create thousands of jobs, and attract investments. Governor Aiyedatiwa stressed that this project, with its natural 18-meter deep channel requiring no dredging, would serve as a catalyst for industrialization and economic growth in the region, thereby boosting the state’s revenue base and improving citizens’ living standards.

Both governors acknowledged their administrations’ commitment to fostering and expanding these collaborations, recognizing PPPs as a viable solution to enhancing public service delivery. The summit also featured insights from experts on risk management, funding options, and best practices to attract investments, further emphasizing the shift from traditional public-only infrastructure funding models to more innovative, collaborative approaches.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, also spoke at the summit’s opening, urging private sector partners to seize the immense opportunities Nigeria offers and to focus on delivering tangible projects rather than just promises. The collective message from the summit was clear: PPPs are no longer optional but essential for Nigeria to achieve its infrastructure and developmental goals.