By Mercy Gadia Adi
The Nigerian Youth Congress (NYC) has commended the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu–led Federal Government for approving major Public-Private Partnership (PPP) projects under the Renewed Hope Agenda, describing the move as a decisive step towards economic revival and infrastructure renewal.
In a statement, the NYC President, Engr. Annum Jethro Terhile, said the approval of the Bakassi Deep Seaport, the Port of Ondo Deep Seaport and the Katsina-Ala Hydropower Plant — projects that have attracted more than $4.29 billion in private investment — signalled renewed confidence in Nigeria’s investment climate.
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According to the Congress, the projects are expected to accelerate economic growth, unlock regional potential and create thousands of direct and indirect jobs, while improving energy supply and easing pressure on the congested Lagos ports. It noted that enhanced port capacity would boost trade efficiency and significantly reduce logistics costs nationwide.
The NYC said the Bakassi and Ondo Deep Seaports would reposition Nigeria as a leading maritime hub for West and Central Africa, while the Katsina-Ala Hydropower Plant would provide sustainable base-load power to the national grid, stimulate industrial activity and support the country’s clean energy transition.
While applauding the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) for what it described as effective regulatory oversight and a robust project development framework, the Congress called on the Federal Government to extend the PPP model more aggressively to railway infrastructure and services across the country.
“A country of over 250 million people cannot sustainably operate a mono-transport system that relies overwhelmingly on road infrastructure,” the NYC said. “Opening up railway infrastructure to PPP investment is not only economically strategic but critical to preserving our roads, improving safety and reducing the cost of doing business.”
The Congress argued that revitalised and expanded rail infrastructure would ease pressure on federal and state road networks, lower the cost of transporting goods, agricultural produce and petroleum products, improve safety in the movement of bulk and hazardous cargo, and enhance national productivity, trade competitiveness and regional integration. It added that such investments would also generate large-scale employment opportunities for young Nigerians across construction, operations and maintenance value chains.
The NYC urged the Federal Government, through the ICRC, to adopt globally tested PPP frameworks such as Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) and related concession models to attract credible local and international investors into rail development. It noted that major indigenous conglomerates, including the Dangote Group, have the technical capacity and financial strength to play a transformative role in rail infrastructure if supported by clear policy direction and bankable PPP structures.
“Strategic private sector participation in rail infrastructure will modernise Nigeria’s transport system, deliver long-term economic returns, ensure safer logistics for petroleum products and promote sustainable infrastructure financing,” the statement added.
The Congress reaffirmed its commitment to constructive engagement and advocacy in support of policies that promote inclusive growth, youth employment and sustainable national development, urging stakeholders to rally behind the Renewed Hope Agenda and leverage PPPs as a proven vehicle for delivering world-class infrastructure for present and future generations.