INAUGURATION OF THE PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP UNIT CONSULTATIVE FORUM (3PUCF)

The formal inauguration of the Public Private Partnership Unit Consultative Forum (3PUCF) held on 5th December 2013 in the Board room of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC). The inauguration had in attendance representatives from about thirty Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). 3PUCF is an informal and voluntary forum designed to provide a platform for Heads of PPP Units in Federal MDAs for knowledge and experience sharing; ensuring symmetry of effort towards institutionalising the Federal Government’s PPP Programme, provision of training and educational intervention among others. The forum which is the brain child of the PPP Resource Department (P3RD) of the ICRC was created as a mutual vehicle to provide a one-point-platform for Federal PPP units which were created principally to facilitate service delivery as well as ensure faster and reduced cost of project execution. Federal PPP units were set up following a circular dated 29th November 2012, in which the office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF) conveyed HE. Dr. Goodluck Jonathan’s approval for all Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies to establish them. Section 8 of the circular states: “I expect that all units will constantly liaise with the

Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission on conceptualisation, appraisal, negotiation and implementation of PPP projects for necessary advice and guidance”; ICRC therefore set up the 3PUCF to facilitate this mandate. The forum has the OHCSF as its Chairman, the Federal Ministry of Finance as the ViceChairman and the ICRC as Secretariat, under the supervision of its Special Projects Unit in its Public Private Partnership Resource Department.