The Adoption of Public Private Partnership as a Form of Policy Transfer for Infrastructure Development in Sub Saharan Africa: Case of Nigeria

Abstract

Public management theories such as Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) are considered to be effective management strategies for the implementation of public policy, however, PPP adoption has been very challenging specifically in countries in the sub Saharan African region. Many researches on PPPs focus on developed countries and few which are centred on developing countries are very descriptive. Furthermore, little attention has been given to PPP adoption in developing countries as an example of a borrowed policy which diffused from developed economies through the process of policy transfer. This diffusion was made possible by different policy transfer agents. These agents and their roles in the policy transfer process have also been overlooked in academic literature. The aim of the study therefore is to fill the research gaps identified above and gain a thorough understanding on the adoption of PPP as a policy transfer strategy for infrastructure development in Nigeria. Drawing on empirical investigation in two major cities in Nigeria, the study examined the evolution of PPP in the country, the rationale for the adoption of PPP in the study context, the identification of key policy transfer agents and their roles in the policy transfer process as well as the identification of various contextual factors surrounding PPP implementation in Nigeria. The study adopts a qualitative research methodology using semi-structured interviews, case study and documentary reviews as the main instruments for data collection. A purposive sampling technique was employed for the selection of PPP experts drawn from the public and private sector organisations. Random sampling was also employed to sample users of an operational PPP in the case study area. The study revealed various Political, legal and regulatory environment, stakeholders, economic factors, expertise and project management issues confronting PPP implementation in Nigeria. The findings of the study further argue that PPP is not a “one size fits all” approach and considerations of the local contextual factors play a key role in the implementation outcomes in Nigeria. The study makes a theoretical contribution by unearthing critical but less researched areas of PPP as a policy transfer strategy in public management theories. It also makes a practical contribution to policy implementation by identifying important contextual factors that hinder public policy implementation in sub Saharan African region.

Date of Award	18 Nov 2019
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	The University of Manchester
Supervisor	Osman Ouattara (Co Supervisor) & Aminu Mamman (Main Supervisor)