The Plateau State Government, in collaboration with the World Bank, on Monday commenced a five-day capacity-building boot camp on Public-Private Partnership (PPP) for civil servants under the State Action on Business Enabling Reforms (SABER).
The programme aims to equip Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) with the technical skills required to drive PPP-led development across key sectors of the state’s economy.
Declaring the training open, Caleb Mutfwang, the Plateau state governor, said the workshop marks a defining moment in Plateau’s journey toward institutional reform and sustainable development.
Represented by Jeremiah Satmark, his chief of Staff, the governor highlighted the administration’s progress, including the approval of 670 kilometres of road construction and rehabilitation across the state, one of the largest in Plateau’s history.
According to him, “the roads are not just physical projects but economic corridors that support tourism, agriculture, trade, and rural accessibility”.
He also cited the ongoing redevelopment of the Hill Station Hotel under a PPP arrangement as evidence of the government’s commitment to innovative financing. The project, he said, is being transformed into a world-class hospitality hub capable of boosting tourism and creating jobs.
Governor Mutfwang emphasised that Plateau is one of the seven states leading in tourism development and noted that PPPs are essential for delivering infrastructure and services that the government cannot shoulder alone.
Read also: How Mutfwang sold Plateau’s investment future to the world at G20 summit
To institutionalise the model, he said the state has strengthened the Plateau State Infrastructure Promotion and Regulatory Agency (PIPRA) to coordinate and regulate PPP activities.
He urged civil servants to treat the training as a strategic investment rather than a routine government event, stressing that the skills acquired would shape future policy outcomes, negotiations, and development projects.
The governor added that Plateau’s improvement in national business-enabling rankings—from 10th to 7th—shows the state’s potential to become a top destination for investment.
Samari, Modibo, SABER focal person I, in his welcome address, said the training is targeted at fulfilling the delivery line, which requires states to make PPP frameworks fully operational.
He noted that although Plateau passed its PPP law in 2017, implementation has remained weak due to limited capacity among MDAs and the PPP directorate.
Midibo explained that the boot camp seeks to close the knowledge gap and provide officials with skills for identifying, preparing, and executing PPP projects.
He said ongoing concessions such as the Jos Hill Station Hotel and the Jos Plateau Hotel demonstrate the administration’s commitment but require strong institutional capacity to manage effectively.
Swaidhin Putga, a participant from the Bureau of Public Procurement who spoke at the event, described the programme as timely and essential for improving procurement transparency and strengthening the issuance of Certificates of No Objection, Letters of Award, and payment approvals.
He expressed optimism that regular capacity-building exercises would enhance professionalism and support the state’s development goals.
BusinessDay reports that the five-day workshop is expected to produce a cadre of PPP-ready officers capable of initiating and managing projects across agriculture, tourism, energy, housing, digital infrastructure, and other priority sectors in line with the state’s development strategy.
