Emmanuel Onwodi
Susan Abayomi
The Benin-Asaba Expressway Concession Company Limited (BAECC) has appointed Dr. Emmanuel Onwodi as its Chief Operating Officer (COO), as the company strengthens its executive leadership for the development and management of the Benin-Asaba Expressway corridor.
Onwodi, a chartered accountant and infrastructure finance specialist, brings more than 25 years of experience spanning public-private partnerships (PPPs), infrastructure development, concession management, project finance, risk management, transport and logistics.
A former senior official of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), Onwodi is expected to play a key role in the operational execution of the Benin-Asaba Expressway concession.
In his new position, he will be responsible for supporting project delivery, coordinating stakeholders and advancing BAECC’s long-term operational objectives.
His responsibilities will also include improving operational efficiency, strengthening the concession framework and promoting effective collaboration among government agencies, investors, contractors, lenders, host communities and other stakeholders involved in the project.
Onwodi holds a Ph.D. in Risk Management in Public-Private Partnerships, with a research focus on contingent liability risk. He also earned 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 holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Logistics and Supply Chain Management from the Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology, Zaria.
The new BAECC COO 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).
Onwodi spent about 14 years in senior positions at the ICRC, where he rose to director-level roles covering Transport Infrastructure, Planning, Research and Statistics, as well as Special Projects.
During his public-sector career, he was involved in the development, review and implementation of major PPP and infrastructure initiatives across sectors including roads, railways, ports, aviation, energy, real estate and social infrastructure.
His professional experience includes concession structuring and negotiations, project finance, financial modelling, risk allocation, contingent liabilities and the development of frameworks aimed at improving the bankability and sustainability of infrastructure projects.
He also contributed to major infrastructure policy initiatives, including 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.
Onwodi was a member of an Inter-Agency Committee involved in developing Nigeria’s Sukuk bond framework, which was designed to expand financing options for infrastructure development.
His transport-sector 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 initiatives involving high-speed rail business cases and transaction advisory services.
His maritime infrastructure experience includes work relating to 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-related transactions.
His experience 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 and investment, Onwodi has participated in transactions aimed at mobilising 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 intended to reduce transaction timelines and procurement-related costs.
Beyond infrastructure development, Onwodi has been involved in professional education and capacity building. He currently serves as Director of Programme and Capacity Building at the PPP Practitioners Association of Nigeria (P3PAN) and is Branch Chairman of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport in Abuja.
He has participated in professional engagements and delivered presentations on PPPs, infrastructure finance, transport, risk management and concession development in Nigeria and internationally.
His 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.
BAECC said Onwodi’s combination of public-sector experience, infrastructure knowledge, financial expertise and understanding of complex concession arrangements would contribute to the company’s efforts to deliver the Benin-Asaba Expressway project.
The appointment comes as the project advances, with effective coordination among the concessionaire, government institutions, contractors, financiers, communities and road users considered important to its successful delivery.
The Benin-Asaba Expressway is being developed under a public-private partnership concession and serves as a major transport link between Edo and Delta states, supporting the movement of people and goods across parts of southern Nigeria.
Onwodi said infrastructure development requires balanced risk allocation, transparent partnerships and disciplined execution.
“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, Onwodi is expected to apply this approach to the day-to-day management of the concession while strengthening systems for monitoring project execution and coordinating the various stakeholders involved in the highway project.
His mandate will include supporting timely project delivery, promoting compliance with contractual and operational requirements, strengthening stakeholder relationships and contributing to sustainable value for road users, investors and the wider economy.
BAECC said the appointment reinforces 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.
