………partnerships to bridge the gap between policy, investment and implementation in Federal Tertiary Institutions.
The Federal Ministry of Education has called on Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Desk Officers in Federal Tertiary Institutions to prioritise public interest, affordability and improved learning outcomes in developing partnerships with the private sector, stressing that the success of education-sector PPPs must be measured by their social value rather than profit maximisation.
The Director Overseeing the Office of the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Dr Mrs Folake David, made this call at the opening of the Two-Day Annual Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Forum for PPP Desk Officers in Federal Tertiary Institutions, held from November 4 to 5, 2026, at the Public Service Institute of Nigeria (PSIN), Abuja.
Organised by the Federal Ministry of Education in collaboration with the Nigerian Institute of Infrastructure and Public-Private Partnership (NIIP), the forum was themed, “Public-Private Partnership: Bridging the Gap Between Policy, Investment and Sustainable Implementation.”
Dr David described the theme as timely, noting that although the Federal Government had established the necessary policy framework and the private sector had demonstrated investment interest, the major challenge remained translating policies and investment opportunities into viable and sustainable projects.
She observed that government alone could not adequately finance the laboratories, student hostels, workshops, high-capacity centres, theatres and other critical infrastructure required by tertiary institutions, given competing national priorities and limited public resources. She therefore emphasised the need to leverage PPPs to mobilise private capital, technical expertise, innovation and management capacity to complement government investment.
She stressed that projects students cannot afford cannot be considered successful, urging PPP Desk Officers to evolve beyond administrative functions and become project facilitators, investment scouts and guardians of public interest. She challenged them to identify viable opportunities, develop bankable proposals and engage credible investors, expressing the expectation that the forum would produce a pipeline of sustainable, education-aligned projects rather than end with a communiqué.
Representing the Director-General of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), Dr Jobson Oseodion Ewalefoh, Mr Akwu Okolo highlighted the Commission’s efforts to improve the efficiency of PPP project reviews and certification, disclosing that processes that previously took approximately 60 days could now be completed within seven days. He also revealed that the Commission had issued 13 PPP guidelines to support the implementation of presidentially approved PPP project approval thresholds.
He encouraged participants to identify investment opportunities peculiar to tertiary education and develop a credible pipeline of projects, noting that social infrastructure, although not always financially self-sustaining, remains essential to fulfilling the government’s social contract with citizens.
In his welcome address, the Director, Special Duties Department, Federal Ministry of Education, Mr Murtala Alhaji Tanko, described the forum as a strategic platform for strengthening institutional capacity and translating government policies into viable investment opportunities.
He highlighted persistent challenges, including inadequate infrastructure, overcrowded classrooms, insufficient teaching and learning facilities and limited access to modern technology.
Tanko urged participants to develop practical recommendations with clear priorities, responsibilities and implementation mechanisms. He charged them to facilitate project identification and preparation, ensure regulatory compliance, promote stakeholder engagement and monitor implementation to guarantee measurable and sustainable improvements in educational infrastructure and services.
Delivering a goodwill message on behalf of the Director, Colleges of Education Department, Dr Uchenna Uba, the Deputy Director, Mrs Vivian Oluwatobi Luke, highlighted the potential of PPPs to modernise lecture halls, hostels, laboratories, workshops, ICT facilities and renewable energy infrastructure. She emphasised sound project preparation, transparency, accountability and effective monitoring, urging participants to translate the forum’s knowledge into sustainable partnerships that would strengthen teaching, learning and skills development.
Similarly, the Director, Polytechnic Education and Allied Institutions Department, Mrs Igwe Amy , underscored the importance of private-sector collaboration in advancing Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET). She stressed that strong industry linkages and private-sector participation were essential to quality technical education and skills acquisition, urging PPP Desk Officers to understand the regulatory framework and develop transparent, mutually beneficial and bankable projects.
Reaffirming the Ministry’s commitment, Dr David assured stakeholders that, under the leadership of the Honourable Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa CON, and the Honourable Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Sa’id Ahmad, the Ministry would continue to promote transparent, accountable and value-driven partnerships that complement ongoing education reforms and advance President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Boriowo Folasade
Director Press and Public Relations
