President Bola Tinubu has directed the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) to enforce strict Public-Private Partnership (PPP) compliance in the implementation of the National Gas Infrastructure Command Centre (NGCC), insisting the project must be fully privately financed without recourse to public funds or sovereign guarantees.
The Director-General of the ICRC, Jobson Ewalefoh, disclosed this in a statement on Monday in Abuja during the inaugural meeting of the NGCC Project Steering Committee.
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Ewalefoh said the President’s directive reinforces the Federal Government’s commitment to fiscal discipline and private sector-led infrastructure development.
He stressed that the NGCC must be financed entirely by the private proponent, with zero public funding and no sovereign guarantees.
“Technology alone does not guarantee viability. Automation does not make a project bankable,” Ewalefoh said.
“Every proposal must pass a structured PPP framework testing feasibility, risk allocation, affordability and sustainability before implementation.
“Public interest, value for money, financial prudence and strict regulatory compliance will guide every stage of this process.”
He emphasised that despite the strategic importance of the NGCC, it would not bypass rigorous regulatory safeguards and disciplined project preparation.
The NGCC is designed to coordinate Nigeria’s gas infrastructure nationwide, strengthen emergency response mechanisms and enhance transparency across the gas value chain.
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The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, formally inaugurated the Project Steering Committee and the Joint Technical Working Group to drive the initiative.
Membership of the committee includes representatives from the Petroleum Ministry, 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 is tasked with handling the technical and preparatory processes in line with established PPP regulatory requirements, ensuring that the project aligns with national development objectives while safeguarding public interest.
