Governors Outline Ambitious Plans to Bridge Infrastructure Deficits

Nigerian state governors have unveiled ambitious plans to address infrastructure deficits through increased capital expenditure in their 2025 budgets.

A total of N17.51tn has been allocated for capital projects in 2025, marking a 54.39% increase from the N11.34tn proposed in 2024. Despite these efforts, a funding deficit of N3.98tn hindered project implementation last year.

Improved statutory allocations from the Federation Account Allocation Committee, which increased by 49.24% to N15.12tn in 2024, provide some relief. However, states continue to face financial challenges that delay critical projects, including roads, healthcare, and education, affecting citizens’ quality of life.

Analysis reveals varying implementation rates for 2024 budgets, with nine states achieving over 80%, 15 states falling between 50–76%, and eight states scoring below 50%. Lagos, Niger, and Enugu lead in prioritizing infrastructure spending, with Lagos allocating N2.07tn in 2025. Other states, including Delta, Akwa Ibom, and Abia, have also outlined significant investment plans.

Experts have raised concerns about states’ ability to meet these targets due to low internally generated revenue, inefficiencies in tax collection, and rising recurrent costs. On average, only 60% of budgeted capital expenditure is executed annually, posing a challenge to achieving long-term development goals.

As citizens anticipate the execution of these ambitious plans, stakeholders urge states to address funding and implementation constraints to close infrastructure gaps and foster economic growth.