The Chairman of the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors, Ekiti State chapter, Olubunmi Ade-Ojo, has urged the state government to create more accessible and affordable financing pathways to support development initiatives under Public-Private Partnership frameworks.
Ade-Ojo, who said affordable financing would encourage investment in infrastructure projects, stressed the importance of collaboration, transparency and public understanding in ensuring the success of PPP projects aimed at improving infrastructure and service delivery.
She spoke in Ado Ekiti on Saturday during the 2026 NIQS Distinguished Guest Lecture titled, “Public-Private Partnership for Sustainable Infrastructure Development: Stakeholders’ Engagement.”
She said, “Projects are not meant for individuals. Projects are meant to serve a wide array of the populace and are provided by the government. When you have a PPP arrangement, it involves the private sector bringing its financial resources to provide these infrastructure facilities on behalf of the government to the people.
“For a PPP project to be successful, all the stakeholders must be on the same page. They must be in agreement. It is not enough for the government and the private sector to agree while the end users or the public are not in agreement. For a successful PPP, there must be synergy. Everybody must be brought to the table and must agree that we want this project. If not, the project can start and it will be frustrated. That is why we are here.
“When you understand the benefits, you are able to make informed decisions to know that instead of suffering from a lack of some facilities, the services of a private individual or organisation can be engaged. It also provides opportunities to educate the public sector.
“We have many participants from different ministries and parastatals here. I believe with this lecture, they now have a better understanding of what PPP projects stand for and what the government stands to gain from employing this means of project financing.”
Ekiti State Head of Service, Folakemi Olomojobi, described bureaucracy as a structured system for delivering results, emphasising that effective governance requires clear processes and collaboration.
Olomojobi said Ekiti State had always demonstrated strong political will in promoting partnerships that drive development and improve the ease of doing business in the state.
She said, “Bureaucracy is just a system of doing things. Bureaucracy means that you have a system of performing, and its target is to deliver results. In Ekiti State, I must commend the leadership of the state, the past governors and the present governor because we can see massive political will to get results in doing business in the state.
“As far back as 2011, Ekiti State had the Public-Private Partnership Law, which was re-enacted in 2020 to address identified gaps. We understand our strengths as a state and realise that we need private partnership to deliver results for our people. If we are going to run budgets, we start from the grassroots level. In that engagement, we listen to the people, we hear what they need, and we determine how we are going to address it.
“For example, if people say there is no water, the government can say we are not businessmen and women, but we can partner with private investors to ensure that water is provided. The people, the consumers, the public service and the political class agree on how it will be done.
“That is what has given birth to many innovations we are seeing in the water sector, the hospital sector, infrastructure and even the hospitality business. We sat down to engage. I must confess that it comes from engaging and engaging continuously. Today, we have a work plan on the ease of doing business, and Ekiti has presented it at this conference.”
In his lecture, Dr C.C. Katchy emphasised the need for governments to provide access to affordable financing to support development initiatives under PPP arrangements.
He noted that when governments can access funds at low interest rates, such as about two per cent, such resources should be channelled into development projects rather than remaining idle.
According to him, high lending rates can discourage investment in critical infrastructure projects, making government support necessary to ensure that financing remains accessible and sustainable.
He also stressed the importance of public awareness and transparency in PPP arrangements, noting that clear communication helps citizens understand how such projects work and enables investors to assess whether projects are financially viable.
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