WAPPP has finalized processing and confirmed the Plateau State Infrastructure Promotion and Regulatory Agency (PPP) as a full member of its organization which is a NGO based out of Geneva, Switzerland. The World Association of PPP Units & Professionals (WAPPP) is home to experienced PPP Professionals enabling a multi-stakeholder network bringing together public-private partnership professionals from PPP units, infrastructure agencies, institutional and long term investors as well as PPP consultants from around the globe together, to engage, learn from each other and create better adaptable PPPs that deliver value within their communities for the future generations. Members are able to engage with each other on an exclusive neutral platform to discuss latest PPP trends and challenges, share knowledge, experiences, explore opportunities and create solutions in the spirit of driving open innovation for people first, resilient and sustainable infrastructure and PPPs.

The WAPPP body is governed by 30 diverse and seasoned global PPP practitioners through Steering and Executive committees. The exclusive WAPPP membership comprises 60 nationalities of over 300 members and only about 40 PPP units globally. Beyond being an alternative procurement channel, WAPPP sees PPP as an essential tool for infrastructure development globally towards achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

The WAPPP President, Ziad Alexandre HAYEK said, “we are delighted to welcome Plateau State Infrastructure Promotion & Regulatory Agency from Nigeria to join the WAPPP’s membership. We look forward to supporting Felix Rwang-Dung and his team to succeed by promoting sustainable and successful PPP projects in Plateau state going forward. From the conversations I had with Felix on Plateau state, it seems to be richly endowed with diverse natural resources and most favourable climate to foreigners, this can likely encourage international investment interests especially since Plateau is also noted as a tourist destination in Nigeria. However, it seems a lot needs to be done for an enabling environment for this to be realizable”

The membership into WAPPP was officially confirmed to the Director General via email on May 11th 2023 by Fatimah-zorah Rahmoun the Chair for membership Committee. She stated that, “the presence and participation of your PPP Unit of Nigeria in the WAPPP General Assembly 2023 at Athens, Greece, earlier in the month was highly appreciated. The official press release publication by WAPPP of this development with Plateau state is just awaiting final review by the executive director.”
Primah Atugonza, the current WAPPP Chair Africa Chapter and the Head, PPP & Infrastructure Portfolio for the African Legal Support Facility (ALSF or Facility) hosted by the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group, in Abidjan, Congratulated Mr Felix and the Plateau state Infrastructure Promotion and Regulatory Agency for successfully joining the network and as the rep for Africa in WAPPP, she confirmed availability to provide any direct support required to ensure the agency succeeds through PPPs for Plateau State. She indicated that while the ALSF facility develops innovative tools for capacity building and knowledge management which Plateau state can explore, it is currently only designed to providing legal advice and technical assistance to African countries at the sovereign level for the structuring and negotiation of complex commercial transactions or creditor litigation.

The Director General of the Plateau State Infrastructure Promotion & Regulatory Agency, Mr. Felix Rwang-Dung, said: “I am very thrilled for my agency to be finally accepted to join WAPPP membership. I think currently only KADIPA in Kaduna state are members of WAPPP in Nigeria. I believe with the significant economic challenges been faced both nationally and globally, very strategic alliances at the highest levels of the global industry are key for helping us on the Plateau overcome our key infrastructural challenges for the sustainable development of our dear state adapting the successful Public-Private Partnership (PPP) frameworks established in diverse climes. I am personally very confident that through this membership, we have been able to present Plateau state in the global PPP conversation space for support, relevance, value and visibility that will enable us have direct access to invaluable knowledge resources, investment communities, global trends or insights, and networking opportunities to attract development and investments back to Plateau.

We have already started experiencing demonstrable value from WAPPP even before the membership confirmation. In February, from some discussions with WAPPP Africa Chair, Primah Atugonza, she advised and directly introduced the me to the General Counsel of Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG), Mr. Tinashe Makoni, who we explore various ways project preparation funding support requirements, challenges and initiatives for us to consider.

The Director General said, “my greatest benefit so far with WAPPP has been meeting with Mr. Johnson Kilangi, a Kenyan Infrastructure and PPP consulting expert, who is the Chair PPP Finance Forum for WAPPP frequently publishes articles on Africa infrastructure and PPP for the World bank. He was instrumental in securing our membership and has become a very strategic contact. I am also very honored that he accepted to be a pro-bono Advisory board member of Plateau state PPP Agency. This has significantly boosted our local capacity in planning and developing our infrastructure projects going forward to align with global best practice.

As his first priority assignment on the Plateau PPP agency advisory board, Mr. Johnson has been requested to help develop a mutually beneficial model for collaboration between the relevant authorities in Kenya and Tanzania for the donation of wild life animals for the restocking and redevelopment of the Jos wild life Park as an Eco-tourism project. Mr Johnson is also helping us identify strategic Kenyan investors in the flower industry to explore how they can set up similar facilities here on the Plateau. Also, to demonstrate his keen commitment to supporting Plateau state, Mr Johnson, gave me a full scholarship as part of his 10th Cohort on the African Project Finance Program which is currently in its 3rd week.”

Mr Johnson Kilangi, is the Founder of the Miundo Misingi Hub, an infrastructure Hub based in Kenya that is building an ecosystem that supports the origination and development of infrastructure projects that can be financed and implemented by local investment players.
He was recently in Nigeria for the first time, as a key panelist for the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) PPP Summit on 25th April 2023, held in Eko Hotel, Lagos. Johnson met with Mr. Felix Rwang-Dung and both agreed to establish a strategic collaboration going forward to build capacity building on PPP, Infrastructure and Project Finance across Nigeria starting with Plateau state through his Miuondo Misingi Hub model which has already trained over 300 future infrastructure finance leaders from across the globe.

Mr. Andy Phillips (Miuondo Misingi hub trainee from Caribbean Islands), Mr. Ziad Alexandre HAYEK (WAPPP President), Mr. Felix Rwang-Dung (Plateau PPP D.G) and Mr Johnson Kilangi (WAPPP Chair Finance Forum/ CEO Miuondo Misingi hub) in Cairo, Egypt recently.

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Plateau State PPP Agency in Nigeria joins World Association of PPP Units & Professionals (WAPPP)