By Murtala Muhammad
Participants at the end of a two-day dialogue on Public-Private Partnership (PPP), have emphasized that leveraging public and private sectors’ expertise to foster transparency, accountability, and innovation in tackling service delivery challenges is paramount.
Organized by the USAID funded State2State Activity, Bauchi Field Office, aimed at enhancing service delivery in basic education, primary healthcare, Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) sectors.
Discussions during the event highlighted the limited understanding and implementation of PPP frameworks in Bauchi State, where the stakeholders acknowledged that the concept remains new, with public and private actors lacking adequate awareness of existing legal and policy frameworks.
Additionally, the meeting identified significant barriers, including the scarcity of potential private partners, particularly in the WASH sector, and regulatory frameworks in education and healthcare that hinder private sector participation due to the provision of free services.
These challenges, the participants argued, necessitate urgent, collaborative action to maximize the potential of PPPs in the state.
To address these issues, the stakeholders, in a communique adopted at the end of the dialogue recommended that capacity-building workshops be conducted to educate both state and non-state actors on PPP frameworks.
The participants called for collaboration between the Bureau for Privatization and Economic Reforms, the Bureau for Public Procurement, and relevant Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to facilitate successful PPP implementation.
They also called for the conduct of a feasibility study to identify potential PPP projects across the three priority sectors, urged the education sector to seek corporate social responsibility initiatives, donations, and international partnerships to tackle persistent challenges.
The Stakeholders also advocated for extending PPP frameworks to address other health concerns, such as Buruli ulcers and Hepatitis B infections.
They reiterated the transformative potential of PPPs in enhancing service delivery and urged for sustained commitment from both public and private entities to drive sustainable development in Bauchi State.
The dialogue concluded with a call to expand the involvement of Toilet Business Owners (TBOs) and Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) in the WASH sector and to identify new areas for PPP implementation.
The event brought together government representatives and private sector stakeholders to address systemic challenges and explore innovative solutions for critical public services.