Managing the Sale of Government Properties Through Public-Private Partnerships in Nigeria

This study examines the management of government property transactions and privatisation through public-private partnerships in Nigeria, analysing the processes, outcomes, and professional management implications of selected state and federal government real estate disposal programmes. Government property disposal through PPP arrangements is a common mechanism for raising revenue, improving asset utilisation, and transferring maintenance obligations while retaining some public interest protections, but its management in Nigeria has been associated with transparency concerns and below-market transactions. The study employs a qualitative case study methodology, examining three government property transactions managed through PPP mechanisms in Lagos, Abuja, and Enugu, drawing on available government reports, transaction documentation, and structured interviews with 15 government officials, 10 PPP consultants, and 12 professional valuers involved in these transactions. Analysis applies a transaction efficiency and transparency framework to each case. Findings reveal that transparency in transaction structuring and value determination is the most variable and contested dimension of assessed PPP property transactions. In two of three cases, independent market valuation was conducted but outcomes were not publicly disclosed, creating perceptions of under-valuation. Community and public interest protections in transaction terms are weakly specified. Professional estate management input to the PPP structuring process is limited to valuation rather than broader transaction advisory roles. Recommendations include mandatory public disclosure of independent valuations in government property PPP transactions, standardised PPP transaction template terms drafted with professional estate manager input, and a dedicated BPE module for managing real estate privatisation advisory processes. Keywords: government property, PPP, privatisation, estate management, property disposal.