Public Private Partnership and Economic Development in South East Nigeria, 2016-2023

This study in an empirical investigation of Public Private Partnership and Economic Development in South East Nigeria from 2016 – 2023. Specifically the study is designed to; ascertain the effects of public private partnership on road infrastructural development in Enugu, Umuahia, Abakaliki, Anambra, and Owerri, determine the effects of public private partnership on provision of water and waste management infrastructures Enugu, Umuahia, Abakaliki, Anambra, and Owerri Investigate the effect of public private partnership on provision of educational facilities in South East Nigeria, investigate the effect of public private partnership on provision of Educational infrastructures in South East Nigeria, examine the effect of public private partnership on provision of health care infrastructures in Enugu, Umuahia, Abakaliki, Anambra, and Owerri. This study was carried out in five big South East Nigerian cities, namely Enugu, Umuahia, Abakaliki, Anambra, and Owerri, which were all selected randomly. The focal point of this study is the inhabitants of these big cities in the South East Geopolitical Zone of Nigeria. The study population is thus 2876 residents made up of male and females from the chosen five chosen cities in South East Nigeria who are predominantly Roman Catholic Church members. Taro Yamane sampling method was employed in obtaining a sample size of 351 respondents. A questionnaire designed by the researcher was the tool for collecting data, and data gathered from the respondents were computed using simple percentages, whereas chi-square (X2) was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study revealed; public private partnership played significant role in the provision of road infrastructures in the study areas, public private partnership played significant role in the provision of water and waste management infrastructures in the study; public private partnership played significant role the provision of educational infrastructures in the studies areas; public private partnership played significant role on the provision of health care infrastructures in the studies areas. Based on the findings, the following were recommended: state government should make use of public private partnership to ensure adequate provision of infrastructure most especially in rural areas where the infrastructural needs of the people are not receiving attention; the masses should mobilize the public sector to ensure the government provide an enabling environment for public private partnership in infrastructural provision; loan should be given to private investor at low interest rate to encourage private investor involvement in the provision of infrastructure; the government should ensure continuity of the project regardless of government change. Keywords: public, private, partnership, economy, development