FG to launch PPP contract monitoring website in bid for more transparency

The Federal Government said it is set to launch a contract disclosure portal which will provide information on contracts jointly entered into by public and private enterprises in the country at the end of August, 2017, in a bid for more transparency and accountability.

This was disclosed by Chidi Izuwah, Acting Director-General, Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), at a Public Private Partnership (PPP) training workshop organised by the World Bank in Lagos, adding that the ICRC and the World Bank had been working together to ensure more openness and transparency in PPPs in Nigeria.

He mentioned that there were 51 ongoing PPP projects entered into by the Federal Government, cutting across all sectors, and 77 pipeline projects which the public may not be aware of. He noted however that with the planned launch, all federal government’s MDAs were expected to fully disclose all their PPP contracts.

Izuwah continued, “This disclosure initiative is designed to ensure that all non-confidential information relating to PPP contracts, both pre and post contract information, is made available and easily accessible to members of the public. The disclosure is expected to bring improvement and engender confidence in PPP contract transactions in Nigeria.

“It is also hoped that Nigerians, through the disclosure, will be better educated and informed on the salient features of PPP contracts. This includes agreed standards of service, scope of work, parties to the contract, general overview of the project, social and economic benefits of the project, as well as risk allocation and the actual performance levels achieved.”

Izuwah further explained that the portal was not only for local use, but would also encourage foreign direct investments into the country.

He stated that the new process would ensure that contractors keep their own side of the bargain. “For example, at the airport, what quality of service should you expect, what are your entitlements, what are you paying for? All these information will be made available so that Nigerians will be equipped to be able to insist and get the services they are entitled to”.

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Senior Consultant on PPPs, World Bank Group, Mr Prashant Sharma, said the bank was assisting Nigeria, Kenya, Honduras and Ghana to develop a PPP Contract Information Disclosure website.

He stated this would improve transparency in the procurement process, and that when the website goes live in August, Nigeria would be one of the leading countries in the world in transparency and accountability on PPP contracts.

“We have been working with the ICRC over the last one year to develop an organized platform to actually deliver information and disclose information about public private partnership,” he noted.

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