Nigeria’s President, Bola Tinubu has directed that the Federal Government’s proposed National Gas Infrastructure Command Centre (NGCC), be implemented strictly under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement, with no recourse to public funding or sovereign guarantees.
The directive was disclosed by the Director-General of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), Mr. Jobson Oseodion Ewalefoh, during the inaugural meeting of the Project Steering Committee (PSC) for the NGCC.
Ewalefoh explained that the President’s approval clearly stipulates that the project must be fully financed by the private sector proponent, without any contingent liabilities or financial backing from the Federal Government.
He stressed that the Commission would ensure strict adherence to established PPP guidelines and regulatory frameworks throughout the project lifecycle.
According to him, the NGCC conceived as a strategic national platform for real-time monitoring and coordination of Nigeria’s gas infrastructure must pass through rigorous feasibility assessments, risk allocation reviews, and sustainability tests before implementation.
“Technology alone does not guarantee viability. Automation in itself does not make a project bankable. Every proposal must pass through a structured PPP framework that rigorously tests feasibility, risk allocation, affordability and sustainability,” Ewalefoh stated.
He added that public interest, value for money, financial prudence and strict regulatory compliance would guide every stage of the process.
The NGCC is designed to provide centralised operational coordination across Nigeria’s gas value chain, strengthen emergency response systems, and enhance transparency in gas infrastructure management.
Meanwhile, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, formally inaugurated the Project Steering Committee and the Joint Technical Working Group (JTWG) to oversee the implementation process in line with the presidential directive.
The PSC comprises representatives from the Ministry of Petroleum Resources (Gas), the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd), the ICRC, and the project promoter.
The Joint Technical Working Group includes technical, legal and institutional representatives from relevant government agencies and the private sector proponent, tasked with advancing preparatory processes in full compliance with PPP regulations.
The development underscores the Federal Government’s commitment to fiscal discipline and private-sector-led infrastructure development, particularly within Nigeria’s energy sector.