ICRC says PPPs key to Nigeria’s critical minerals infrastructure
UNGA 81: ICRC pushes PPPs for roads, rail, ports
The Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) says Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) will help provide the roads, railways, ports and logistics infrastructure needed to move Nigeria’s critical minerals from mines to markets.
The ICRC Director-General, Dr Jobson Ewalefoh, made this known while briefing journalists at the Nigeria-U.S. Critical Minerals and Infrastructure Investor Room Meeting in New York.
He said the Nigeria-U.S. solid minerals partnership could only achieve its full potential if adequate infrastructure was developed to support the sector.
Ewalefoh urged investors to explore opportunities in roads, rail, ports and logistics, describing infrastructure as a critical part of the minerals value chain.
“Minerals will not fly to the processing plants. They will not fly to the ports. You need good roads, you need railways, you need ports, you need logistics infrastructure in place for these opportunities to achieve their value,” he said.
He said the ICRC was in New York to promote investment opportunities across the minerals value chain, adding that reforms to relevant laws had created a more attractive environment for investors.
Ewalefoh also cited the $7 billion agreement with DP World for investment in the Ogun State Deep Sea Port as another major investment milestone.
He said the government had developed a standard PPP agreement template to address political, legal and financial risks faced by investors.
According to him, improved collaboration among government agencies has also helped remove obstacles that previously hindered investment.
He said the commission now receives daily investment requests across aviation, transportation, ports and other sectors, adding that “Nigeria is open for business.”
The meeting, led by the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, brought together government, industry, finance and infrastructure stakeholders from Nigeria and the United States.
Oduwole said Nigeria’s solid mineral exports reached N354 billion in 2025, while the sector attracted more than $2.6 billion in foreign direct investment over 30 months.
