From: Fidelis Okafor

Sokoto State government recently stormed the workshop organised by the Nigeria Association of Agricultural Journalists (NAAJ) with laudable experience promising their continual partnership with the association.

Speaking at Lagos on the theme-Sustainable Agriculture Under Economic Recession, the Sokoto State Honourable Commissioner for Agriculture, Alhaji Umaru Nagwari Tambuwal noted that the role of government in provision of infrastructure few years have been enjoying private partnership.

Though Government has traditionally been the sole provider of public infrastructure and services to the people such as power, roads, water, energy, health, education. However, government has today recognized it can achieve this with greater value, wider coverage and less cost using the private sector approach (both foreign and domestic investors). The approach of supplying public goods and services via private sector participation is growing in importance world over, not only due to the failure or   inability by public entities to deliver such services, but also due to recognized advantages and benefits of private sector participation in Public Private Partnerships (PPP).

Tambuwal who was represented by Prof. Ahmed Ala, Department of Agricultural Economics, Usman Danfodiyo University, Sokoto State, explained that the PPP approach has been defined by various economists, bodies/organizations as well business practitioners to be a contractual agreement involving the private sector in the delivery of public services, where the responsibility for the delivery of services is shared between the public and private sectors both of which bring their complementary skills to the enterprise.

According to him, “PPP brings together the public and private sectors in the long term contractual relationship to deliver high quality public services. The private sector then becomes the long term service provider rather than the simple upfront asset builder.

“The importance of PPP as a finance, management and maintenance option was recognized in Nigeria, during Obasanjo’s administration with the privatization of some public enterprises, deregulation and the monetization of some Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs) of government. It gained more ground with the establishment of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) by the late President Umar Yar’Adua in 2009 after the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Act was signed by the Obasanjo’s Government in 2005. Some of the projects that enjoyed PPP arrangement in the country include: Terminal II of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, The National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA), a parastatal under the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources to mention but a few. Under the Buhari administration, Government is vigorously pursuing foreign investors with a view to getting the country out of the present economic recession. Some of the sectors being addressed include: Agriculture, Mines and Solid Minerals, Power and Works Ministries. In fact, Government is even contemplating of selling some of its National assets so as to meet up economic demands that can successfully drive the economy towards growth and development. Therefore, PPP collaboration has become a child of necessity for Nigeria if only we are to get out of the present economic woes.”

In addition, he stated that in PPP collaboration, the private sector is found to play a key role to the success of government in providing infrastructure and other social services to the people. The private sector has resources, human capital, and problem-solving capabilities that government needs in solving its socio-economic problems as well as improving its operation and services.

The aim is to create economic growth and development through market-oriented investment and thus contribute to employment generation, poverty reduction, revenue generation by the government.