BAECC Appoints Emmanuel Onwodi as Chief Operating Officer

Infrastructure and PPP Specialist Brings Over 25 Years of Experience to Benin-Asaba Expressway Project
The Benin-Asaba Expressway Concession Company Limited (BAECC) has appointed renowned Public-Private Partnership (PPP) and infrastructure specialist, Dr. Emmanuel Onwodi, as its new Chief Operating Officer (COO).
The appointment is expected to strengthen the company’s executive leadership as it progresses with the development and management of the strategic Benin-Asaba highway corridor connecting Edo and Delta States.
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, logistics and public-private partnerships.

He previously served in senior positions at the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), where he spent about 14 years and rose to director-level roles covering Transport Infrastructure, Planning, Research and Statistics, and Special Projects.
As COO, Onwodi will be responsible for supporting the operational execution of the Benin-Asaba Expressway concession, coordinating key stakeholders and helping implement BAECC’s long-term objectives.
His responsibilities will also include improving operational efficiency, strengthening the concession framework and promoting cooperation among government institutions, investors, contractors, lenders, host communities and other stakeholders involved in the project.

Extensive Infrastructure and PPP Experience
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 has 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).

During his career at ICRC, Onwodi participated in major infrastructure and PPP initiatives involving roads, railways, ports, aviation, energy, real estate and social infrastructure.
His expertise covers concession structuring and negotiation, project finance, financial modelling, risk allocation, contingent liabilities and infrastructure bankability.
He also contributed to policy initiatives including the Nigerian Integrated Infrastructure Master Plan, the National Infrastructure Financing Policy and guidelines supporting PPP implementation across government ministries, departments and agencies.
Onwodi was also part of an inter-agency committee involved in developing Nigeria’s Sukuk bond framework, aimed at expanding financing sources for infrastructure development.
Experience Across Transport and Infrastructure Sectors
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 on 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, while his wider portfolio includes aviation, power, hydropower, urban infrastructure, healthcare and education projects.
He has also participated in transactions designed to mobilise private capital for public infrastructure, including the structuring of a transaction that attracted more than ₦41 billion in private investment into a single project.
Beyond project development, Onwodi 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.
Focus on Benin-Asaba Expressway Delivery
BAECC said Onwodi’s combination of public-sector experience, financial expertise, infrastructure knowledge and familiarity with complex concession arrangements will support the company’s efforts to deliver the Benin-Asaba Expressway project.

The expressway is being developed under a PPP concession and serves as an important transport corridor linking Edo and Delta States while supporting the movement of people and goods across southern Nigeria.
The company noted that the scale and long-term nature of the project require effective engineering, concession management, financing, risk allocation, logistics, stakeholder engagement and operational coordination.
Onwodi said infrastructure development requires effective 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, he is expected to support project monitoring, stakeholder coordination, compliance with contractual and operational requirements and timely execution of the concession.
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.
The company added that its immediate priority remains effective execution of the concession and constructive engagement with government, investors, contractors, communities and road users toward delivering a safe, efficient and modern highway.