The Benin-Asaba Expressway Concession Company Limited (BAECC) has announced the appointment of Public-Private Partnership and infrastructure specialist Dr Emmanuel Onwodi as its Chief Operating Officer (COO), strengthening its executive leadership as it advances the development and management of the critical Benin-Asaba highway corridor.

Onwodi, a chartered accountant, infrastructure finance specialist and former senior official of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), brings more than 25 years of professional experience covering infrastructure development, concession management, project finance, risk management, transport and logistics.

In his new role, he will help drive the operational execution of the Benin-Asaba Expressway concession, with responsibility for strengthening project delivery, coordinating key stakeholders and supporting the implementation of the concession company’s long-term objectives, the company said in a statement.

His mandate will also include promoting operational efficiency, maintaining the integrity of the concession framework and strengthening cooperation among government institutions, investors, contractors, lenders, communities and other stakeholders connected with the project.

The appointment brings to BAECC an executive who has spent a significant part of his career working at the intersection of government policy, private capital and major infrastructure development.

Onwodi holds a PhD in risk management in PPP, with research focused on contingent liability risk, and an MSc in risk management from Birmingham City University. He also holds a B.A. in International Accounting from the University of Northampton.

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

His professional qualifications span accounting, finance, infrastructure, logistics and management.
He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (FCA) and 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 others.

Onwodi’s experience in Nigeria’s infrastructure sector includes about two decades of senior responsibilities at the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), where he rose to a director-level position covering transport infrastructure, planning, research and statistics, and special projects.

During his public-sector career, he participated in the development, review and implementation of major PPP and infrastructure initiatives involving roads, railways, ports, aviation, energy, real estate and social infrastructure.

His experience also covers the structuring and negotiation of concession arrangements, project finance, financial modelling, risk allocation, contingent liabilities and the development of frameworks aimed at improving the bankability and long-term sustainability of infrastructure projects.