Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) will be collaborating with Nigeria to build roads in Nigeria

This was announced by the Deal Operator of the Bank, Mr Hulisani Makhuvha while speaking with newsmen on Monday in Abuja at a conference of Nigeria-South Africa Intergraded Transport Infrastructure Initiative.

The conference is aimed at launching a road infrastructure programme for the West African region and ultimately integrate the African continent.

The event is a collaborative initiative between the DBSA and Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) on how to fashion a transport and logistics infrastructure agenda for the West African region.

Mr Makhuvha noted that it was important both countries worked together for such infrastructures as they were the biggest economies in the continent.

“We are going to look at possible ways of collaborating within the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) space, working with ICRC and the Nigerian government. We will look at opportunities and how we can collaborate with the Nigerian government; our mandate is driven primarily by how much is required to build roads basically,” he said.

Mr Chidi Izuwah, Managing Director ICRC at the event stated the huge importance of good roads to an economy. He said road does not only connect and integrates but facilitates supply chains and enhances a nation’s economy.

He stated that this new alliance would teach participants how not to structure bad projects.

He further added that the event and others to come were indicative of ICRC’s drive to collaborate with the rest of Africa to make PPP delivery an integrative process. He told participants that ICRC had hosted a PPP project screening roundtable sponsored by AfreximBank to build first-mover project pipeline for their project preparation.

“Am happy to announce to you that ICRC has been appointed by AfreximBank as the clearinghouse in Nigeria for all prospective federal and sub-national PPP projects that may require project development funding.

“At the same event ICRC has screened 11 PPP projects valued at over $10 billion out of over 30 across federal and sub-national MDAs, “Izuwah said.

Culled from www.vanguardngr.com