President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) to oversee the implementation of the National Gas Infrastructure Command Centre (NGCC) strictly as a Public-Private Partnership (PPP).
Under the presidential directive, the project must be delivered with zero public funding and carry no contingent liabilities or sovereign guarantees for the Federal Government.
Dr. Jobson Oseodion Ewalefoh, Director-General of the ICRC, announced the mandate during the inaugural meeting of the Project Steering Committee (PSC) in Abuja. He emphasized that the commission will ensure the project is fully financed by private proponents while adhering to rigorous regulatory safeguards.
Fiscal Discipline and Oversight
The NGCC is designed as a centralized platform for the real-time monitoring and coordination of Nigeria’s gas infrastructure. While the project is a strategic priority for the nation’s energy sector, Dr. Ewalefoh maintained that its importance would not bypass financial scrutiny.
”Every proposal must pass through a structured PPP framework that rigorously tests feasibility, risk allocation, affordability, and sustainability,” Ewalefoh stated, adding that automation and technology alone do not make a project “bankable” without a sound financial structure.
Project Scope and Implementation
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Sen. Ekperikpe Ekpo, has officially inaugurated both the PSC and a Joint Technical Working Group (JTWG) to begin the implementation process.
The NGCC aims to:
- Centralize operational coordination across the gas value chain.
- Strengthen emergency response management.
- Enhance transparency in national gas infrastructure operations.
Collaborative Governance
The project’s steering committee includes key stakeholders from the Ministry of Petroleum Resources (Gas), the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), the NNPC Ltd., and the ICRC, alongside the private project promoter.
The Joint Technical Working Group, comprising legal and technical experts, has been tasked with ensuring all preparatory processes meet the legal requirements for PPPs in Nigeria.