Vice President Kashim Shettima on Thursday emphasised the need for improved public-private infrastructure partnership, saying it was critical to the economic growth and overall development of Nigeria.

The vice president also noted that President Bola Tinubu is set to replicate the legacies he left as governor of Lagos State at the national level for the transformation of the country.

He spoke at the public presentation of two books authored by Mallam Yusuf Ali (SAN) in Abuja on Thursday.

The books were ‘The Supreme Court and Jurisprudence of the Right To a Fair Hearing In Nigeria and ‘Public-Private Partnerships in Nigeria: An Essential Guide of Stakeholders’.

Shettima said the president has unmatched experience in both brokering public-private partnership and understanding what to do in bridging the county’s infrastructure gaps.

“You only need to gaze into the realities of Lagos State before and after his progressive leadership as Executive Governor to realise his spectacular legacy, a skill-set he’s again brought into play to reposition Nigeria as a competitive global player,” the former Borno governor said.

Shettima added that President’s Renewed Hope Agenda was built on the realisation of improved infrastructure as a critical catalyst for the nation’s economic growth.

“I am here to acknowledge that such a grand vision is the reason we are exploring innovative funding mechanisms like Public Private Partnerships, with avenues like the Infrastructure Concessions Regulatory Commission (ICRC) as testimony to such ambition. The on-going review of the ICRC (Establishment ETC) Act, 2005, is telling.

“Infrastructure deficit depends on our understanding of the complex interests of all parties involved in deals that do not disadvantage the nation. It’s crucial to ensure that we are not blinded by any legal requirements.

“It’s worth noting that one astute lawyer can bankrupt a country, but it also takes just one astute lawyer to save a nation. We have witnessed this, even in the recent case of Nigeria versus P&ID which could have resulted in an unbelievable $11 billion arbitral award against us,” he said.

On the books, the Vice President said: “These books aren’t well-timed solely due to their thematic interests. They are not being celebrated solely for their interpretation of paramount aspects of our nation’s journey, nor for a yearning for such interventions in our collective responsibility to serve the nation. These two books stand out due to the intellectual and professional pedigree of the author.”

In his remarks, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi asked senior legal luminaries to emulate Ali and document their experiences in books to guide upcoming and future practitioners.

He said the books titles address some critical national issues that have continued to shape national discuss regarding cooperate governance in Nigeria.

“Through this publication, Mr Yusuf Ali has further deployed his rich legal skills and knowledge beyond public interest advocacy. He has moved to academic research, legal research and jurisprudence and scholarship ultimately to deplore his deep knowledge of the law to attain justice, fairness and economic development for the benefit of humanity,” the Attorney General said.

In his vote of thanks, Ali expressed appreciation all guests at the presentation and those contributed towards making the books a reality.