The Benin-Asaba Expressway Concession Company Limited (BAECC) has appointed renowned Public-Private Partnership (PPP) and infrastructure specialist, Dr. Emmanuel Onwodi, as its Chief Operating Officer (COO).
The appointment is expected to strengthen the company’s executive leadership as it advances the development, management and operational delivery of the Benin-Asaba Expressway corridor.
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 also a former senior official of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), where he spent about 14 years in senior roles, including director-level responsibilities covering Transport Infrastructure, Planning, Research and Statistics, and Special Projects.
As COO of BAECC, Onwodi will support the operational execution of the Benin-Asaba Expressway concession, coordinate key stakeholders and help implement the company’s long-term strategic objectives.
His responsibilities will include strengthening project delivery, promoting operational efficiency, maintaining the integrity of the concession framework and deepening collaboration among government institutions, investors, contractors, lenders, host communities and other stakeholders.
The appointment brings to BAECC an executive with extensive experience working at the intersection of government policy, private capital and large-scale infrastructure development.
Extensive Academic and Professional Background
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, 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.
Experience Across Nigeria’s Infrastructure Sector
During his time at the ICRC, Onwodi participated in the development, review and implementation of major PPP and infrastructure initiatives covering roads, railways, ports, aviation, energy, real estate and social infrastructure.
His expertise includes concession structuring and negotiation, project finance, financial modelling, risk allocation, contingent liabilities and the development of frameworks designed to improve the bankability and sustainability of infrastructure projects.
He contributed to major policy initiatives including the Nigerian Integrated Infrastructure Master Plan, the National Infrastructure Financing Policy and guidelines supporting PPP implementation across Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
Onwodi also served on the Inter-Agency Committee involved in developing Nigeria’s Sukuk bond framework, aimed at creating additional financing channels for infrastructure development.
His transport-sector experience includes 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 relating to high-speed rail business cases and transaction advisory.
His maritime infrastructure experience includes work connected with the Badagry Deep-Sea Port, Ibom Deep-Sea Port and Bakassi Port, alongside broader maritime and logistics policy initiatives.
He 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 further includes urban and social infrastructure projects such as the National Theatre concession, Federal Secretariat PPP and infrastructure models in the health and education sectors.
Infrastructure Finance and Capacity Building
Onwodi has participated in transactions designed to mobilise private capital for public infrastructure, 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 associated costs in infrastructure procurement.
Beyond project development, he has been involved in professional education and capacity building.
He currently serves as Director of Programme and Capacity Building for the PPP Practitioners Association of Nigeria (P3PAN) and is Branch Chairman of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport in Abuja.
He has delivered presentations and participated in professional engagements on PPPs, infrastructure finance, transport, risk management and concession development in Nigeria and internationally.
His professional engagements have included platforms 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.
Focus on Benin-Asaba Expressway Delivery
BAECC said Onwodi’s combination of public-sector experience, private infrastructure knowledge, financial expertise and familiarity with complex concession arrangements would support the company’s efforts to deliver the Benin-Asaba Expressway project.
The appointment comes at a significant stage in the development of the corridor, where effective coordination among the concessionaire, government institutions, contractors, financiers, communities and road users will remain important to successful project delivery.
The Benin-Asaba Expressway is being developed under a Public-Private Partnership concession and serves as an important transport corridor connecting Edo and Delta states while facilitating the movement of people and goods across southern Nigeria.
The scale and long-term nature of the project require expertise beyond engineering, including concession management, infrastructure financing, risk allocation, logistics, stakeholder engagement and operational coordination.
These areas form a significant part of 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 Chief Operating Officer, Onwodi is expected to bring this philosophy into the day-to-day management of the concession while strengthening systems for monitoring project execution and coordinating the various interests involved in delivering the highway.
His mandate will include supporting timely project delivery, promoting compliance with contractual and operational requirements, strengthening stakeholder relationships and helping ensure that the concession delivers sustainable value for road users, investors and the wider economy.
BAECC said the appointment reinforces its commitment to assembling the professional and technical leadership required to deliver the expressway to the standards expected of a major national infrastructure project.
With Onwodi joining its executive leadership, the company’s immediate priority remains effective execution of the concession and constructive engagement with stakeholders towards delivering a safe, efficient and modern Benin-Asaba Expressway.
