At the just-concluded Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) UK 2025 Conference, experts and stakeholders in infrastructure development gathered in London to discuss the future of Nigeria’s infrastructural growth. Among the distinguished participants were the Honourable Federal Minister of Works, Rt. Hon. Bello Gorongo, Esq., the representative of the Honourable Minister of Innovation, Technology and Science, Engr. Halimat Adediran, FNSE, the Lord Mayor of Southwark, Cllr. Sunny Lambe, Dr. Engr. May Sule, Chairman of NSE London UK Branch, Dr. Engr. Sunday Popo-Ola, Director of Integrated Space Science and Engineering (ISSE) at Imperial College London, and other leading professionals.

In his keynote remarks, Engr. Segun Ologunleko MNSE, P.CQI, F.CIoD, former Special Adviser/Director-General of the Bureau of Public-Private Partnerships in Ekiti State and current Vice President of the Public-Private Partnerships Association of Nigeria (P3PAN), declared that both the Federal and State Governments have reached their limits in providing public infrastructure and essential services.

According to him, traditional procurement methods such as government-led contracting and direct design-and-build projects have failed to deliver adequate results, leaving Nigeria with a widening infrastructure gap. “Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) present the antidote and the way forward,” he stated.

Engr. Ologunleko explained that PPPs are collaborative project-based agreements between government or statutory entities and private sector partners, designed to deliver infrastructure or services through user charges, fees, or availability payments. This model, he noted, cuts across critical sectors including transport, power, housing, healthcare, education, agriculture, and ICT—areas where government responsibility is most pronounced but capacity is most stretched.

To advance this approach, P3PAN was established by experienced practitioners and enthusiasts as a platform for advocacy, advisory, and knowledge sharing with public institutions, civil servants, and professionals. Its mission is to reduce the incidence of delayed, abandoned, or failed projects by promoting tested PPP frameworks.

“At P3PAN, we are committed to nurturing a robust PPP market in Nigeria, in partnership with NSE UK, NSE Nigeria, and other multidisciplinary entities,” Ologunleko affirmed. “Our goal is to strengthen public sector performance while providing training and certification for professionals to achieve international best practices.”

P3PAN continues to work in close collaboration with NSE UK and welcomes engagement through its platforms: www.p3pan.org.ng and www.nselondon.org.