Vice President Kashim Shettima has assured that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will replicate his feat in Lagos when he was the Governor between 1999 and 2007, at the national level.
Making the assurance in Abuja on Thursday, Shettima stressed the need for improved public-private infrastructure partnerships in the country, as such collaboration is key to economic growth in any country.
Delivering his speech titled, ‘Mallam Yusuf Ali: Enduring Reflection in Law, History, and Public Policy,’ Shettima said, “There is, of course, no politician in the country today who can match President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s experience in both brokering public-private partnership and understanding what must be done to bridge our infrastructure gaps.
“You only need to gaze into the realities of Lagos State before and after his progressive leadership as Executive Governor to realise his spectacular legacy, a skill set he’s again brought into play to reposition Nigeria as a competitive global player.”
Noting that the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda “is built on the realisation of improved infrastructure as a critical catalyst for “the nation’s economic growth,” the Vice President pointed out that the projections of the administration’s sound economic team on revolutionising investment in infrastructure were in tandem with those of its development partners.
“I am here to acknowledge that such a grand vision is the reason we are exploring innovative funding mechanisms like Public Private Partnerships, with avenues like the Infrastructure Concessions Regulatory Commission (ICRC) as testimony to such ambition. The ongoing review of the ICRC (Establishment ETC) Act, 2005, is telling,” he stated.
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Shettima further described the two unveiled books, “The Supreme Court and the Jurisprudence of the Right to Fair Hearing,” and “Public Private Partnerships: An Essential Guide for Stakeholders,” as an eagle-eyed contribution to the “nation’s pursuit of order and development.”
“These books aren’t well-timed solely due to their thematic interests. They are not being celebrated solely for their interpretation of paramount aspects of our nation’s journey, nor for a yearning for such interventions in our collective responsibility to serve the nation. These two books stand out due to the intellectual and professional pedigree of the author,” he added.
The VP further observed that the author was able to capture readers’ attention by recognising the need for a clearer perspective on collaborations between the public and private sectors.
He continued: “Nigeria’s infrastructure deficit depends on our understanding of the complex interests of all parties involved in deals that do not disadvantage the nation. It’s crucial to ensure that we are not blinded by any legal requirements.
“It’s worth noting that one astute lawyer can bankrupt a country, but it also takes just one astute lawyer to save a nation. We have witnessed this, even in the recent case of Nigeria versus P&ID, which could have resulted in an unbelievable $11 billion arbitral award against us.”
