BAECC Appoints PPP Specialist Onwodi Chief Operating Officer

The Benin-Asaba Expressway Concession Company Limited (BAECC) has appointed a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) and infrastructure specialist, Dr Emmanuel Onwodi, as its Chief Operating Officer (COO).

The company said the appointment was part of efforts to strengthen its executive leadership and enhance the operational delivery of the Benin-Asaba Expressway concession.

Onwodi, a chartered accountant and infrastructure finance specialist, brings more than 25 years of professional experience spanning infrastructure development, concession management, project finance, risk management, transport and logistics.

He is a former senior official of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), where he spent about 14 years in senior management positions, including director-level responsibilities covering Transport Infrastructure, Planning, Research and Statistics, and Special Projects.

In his new position, Onwodi is expected to play a central role in the day-to-day implementation of the expressway concession, including project delivery, stakeholder coordination and the execution of BAECC’s long-term operational objectives.

His responsibilities will also cover strengthening operational efficiency, safeguarding the integrity of the concession framework and improving collaboration among government agencies, investors, contractors, lenders, host communities, road users and other stakeholders involved in the project.

BAECC said the appointment was significant because of the complexity and long-term nature of the Benin-Asaba corridor, which requires coordination between public institutions and private-sector participants.

The company described Onwodi’s experience at the intersection of government policy, private capital and infrastructure development as an important addition to its executive management.

Onwodi holds a Ph.D. in Risk Management in Public-Private Partnerships, with research focused on contingent liability risk. 

He also holds an M.Sc. in Risk Management from Birmingham City University in the United Kingdom and a B.A. in International Accounting from the University of Northampton, UK.

He further obtained a Postgraduate Diploma in Logistics and Supply Chain Management from the Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology, Zaria.

His professional qualifications include Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (FCA) and Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (FCILT).

He is also a Certified Public-Private Partnership Professional (CP3P), Chartered Financial Consultant (CFC) and Chartered Management Consultant (Ch.MC), among other professional memberships and fellowships.

During his time at the ICRC, Onwodi was involved in the development, review and implementation of infrastructure and PPP initiatives covering several sectors, including roads, railways, ports, aviation, energy, real estate and social infrastructure.

His experience includes the structuring and negotiation of concession agreements, project finance, financial modelling, risk allocation and the management of contingent liabilities.

He also contributed to frameworks aimed at improving the bankability and long-term sustainability of infrastructure projects.

Among the major policy initiatives associated with his career are contributions to the Nigerian Integrated Infrastructure Master Plan and the National Infrastructure Financing Policy, as well as guidelines supporting PPP implementation across Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies.

He also served on an inter-agency committee involved in the development of Nigeria’s Sukuk bond framework, which was designed to provide additional sources of financing for infrastructure development.

In the transport sector, Onwodi’s experience covers road concessions, national tolling frameworks, railway development, deep-sea ports, dry ports, truck transit parks and aviation infrastructure.

He participated in the negotiation and structuring of the Eastern and Western Railway concessions, valued at more than $2.2 billion, as well as work on high-speed rail business cases and transaction advisory.

His maritime infrastructure experience includes work associated with the Badagry Deep-Sea Port, Ibom Deep-Sea Port and Bakassi Port, in addition to wider maritime and logistics policy initiatives.

Onwodi has also worked on PPP structuring and financial modelling for aviation and airport infrastructure, independent power projects, hydropower risk allocation and other energy-sector transactions.

His portfolio extends to urban and social infrastructure, including projects involving the National Theatre concession, Federal Secretariat PPP and infrastructure models in the health and education sectors.

In infrastructure finance, he has participated in transactions designed to mobilise private capital for public projects, including the structuring of a transaction that attracted more than N41 billion in private investment into a single project.

He also contributed to the development of Direct Negotiation guidelines aimed at reducing transaction timelines and the associated costs of infrastructure procurement.

Beyond infrastructure transactions, Onwodi has been involved in professional training and capacity development.

He currently serves as Director of Programme and Capacity Building of the PPP Practitioners Association of Nigeria (P3PAN) and as Branch Chairman of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport in Abuja.

His professional engagements have included presentations and discussions on PPPs, infrastructure finance, transport, risk management and concession development in Nigeria and abroad.

He has participated in programmes and conferences associated with the World Association of Public-Private Partnerships, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and international conferences of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport.

His engagements have also taken him to professional conferences and programmes across Africa, Europe and North America, while he has featured on television and other media platforms to discuss infrastructure, PPPs and economic policy.

BAECC said the combination of Onwodi’s public-sector experience, infrastructure finance expertise and understanding of concession arrangements would help strengthen the company’s capacity to manage the Benin-Asaba Expressway project.

The appointment comes as the company continues work on a major transport corridor linking Edo and Delta states and supporting the movement of passengers and freight across southern Nigeria.

The expressway is being developed under a PPP concession, making effective coordination between the concessionaire, government institutions, financiers, contractors and communities important to the implementation of the project.

Beyond construction and engineering requirements, the concession requires expertise in financing, risk allocation, contract management, logistics, stakeholder engagement and long-term operations. These areas feature prominently in Onwodi’s professional background.

Commenting on his approach to infrastructure development, Onwodi said: “Infrastructure is the bridge between vision and prosperity. Through balanced risk, transparent partnership, and rigorous execution, we turn concession agreements into lasting public value – for generations to come.”

As COO, he is expected to apply that approach to the operational management of the concession, with emphasis on monitoring project execution and coordinating the interests of the various parties involved.

His mandate will include supporting timely project delivery, promoting compliance with contractual and operational requirements, strengthening stakeholder relationships and helping to ensure that the concession delivers sustainable value for road users, investors and the wider economy.

BAECC said the appointment demonstrated its commitment to building the professional and technical leadership required to deliver the Benin-Asaba Expressway to the standards expected of a major national infrastructure project.

The company added that its immediate focus would remain on effective execution of the concession and constructive engagement with stakeholders towards delivering a safe, efficient and modern expressway.