Nigeria’s Infrastructure Shortfall Could Hit $2.3trn

The projection was disclosed at a high-level pre-summit dialogue on “Catalysing Bankable PPPs through the Infrastructure Project Preparation Facility” ahead of the 31st Nigerian Economic Summit (NES #31), hosted in Abuja by the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) in collaboration with the UK Nigeria Infrastructure Advisory Facility (UKNIAF).

The session brought together policymakers, development partners, financiers, and private sector stakeholders to examine the infrastructure gap highlighted in the National Integrated Infrastructure Master Plan (NIIMP). Discussions focused on the critical role of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) and the importance of stronger project preparation to attract private investment.

In his welcome remarks, NESG Board Director, Nnanna Ude, underscored that unlocking private capital through well-prepared projects is vital to inclusive and sustainable growth. He reaffirmed NESG’s commitment to advancing reforms that strengthen Nigeria’s investment climate and competitiveness.

Delivering the keynote, the UKNIAF team, led by Abdul Oladapo, identified weak project preparation as the biggest obstacle to successful PPPs in Nigeria. Poorly structured proposals, inadequate feasibility studies, and weak institutional capacity were cited as recurring barriers. They urged systematic approaches through the Nigeria Project Preparation Facility (NPPF), which has received ₦42 billion in the 2024 and 2025 federal budgets.

They also noted that previous interventions by institutions such as the International Development Association (IDA) and the Public-Private Infrastructure Advisory Facility (PPIAF) had limited impact due to similar shortcomings.

A panel session on “Strengthening Nigeria’s PPP Pipeline – Institutional Perspectives”, moderated by NESG’s Thematic Lead on Infrastructure and Allied Services Policy Commission, Engr. Nyananso Gabriel Ekanem, featured government, finance, and development experts. Panelists stressed the need for stronger risk assessment, technical expertise, and risk-sharing mechanisms (ICRC), recycling funds from successful transactions and leveraging climate finance (REA, PPP specialists), and building implementing entities that integrate technical skills with project co-development (AFC).

Collectively, they agreed that robust institutional frameworks, improved technical capacity, and de-risked pipelines are essential to mobilising long-term capital.

Earlier, Saadiya Aliyu, Facilitator of the NESG Infrastructure & Allied Services Policy Commission, called for deeper collaboration between government, private sector, and development partners to drive sustainable infrastructure growth.

The dialogue closed with a unified call to prioritise bankable project preparation as the cornerstone for unlocking Nigeria’s infrastructure transformation.

Deliberations from the session will inform discussions at NES #31, themed “The Reform Imperative: Building a Prosperous and Inclusive Nigeria by 2030”, scheduled for October 2025.