The Federal Government has released about N2.68tn for the construction, rehabilitation and maintenance of roads and bridges across the country between 2023 and April 2026, findings by The PUNCH from the Open Treasury Portal have shown.
The analysis, however, revealed a significant disparity between approved budgets and actual releases, with the government making provisions totalling N54.93tn for road-related projects within the period under review.
The figures highlight both the growing emphasis on infrastructure development and the persistent financing constraints that continue to affect capital project execution in the country.
The development also comes amid the ongoing Renewed Hope Media Tour organised by the Presidential Communications Team, designed to showcase projects being implemented under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Data obtained from the Open Treasury Portal on Tuesday showed that road projects attracted a combined budgetary allocation of N2.53tn in 2023, out of which N631.51bn was released, representing an implementation rate of 24.95 per cent.
The Treasury data, however, did not specify the road projects to which the funds were released and did not indicate whether the government’s four legacy highway projects formed part of the expenditure.
A year-by-year breakdown showed that road construction projects received N280.14bn from a budget of N1.09tn during the year, while rehabilitation and repair works attracted N345.93bn from an allocation of N1.42tn. Road and bridge maintenance projects also received N5.44bn out of a total provision of N14.68bn.
In 2024, the Federal Government increased its budgetary commitment to the sector, making provisions amounting to N9.39tn for road-related projects. However, actual releases stood at N784.60bn, representing 8.36 per cent of the approved amount.
Road construction projects accounted for N383.74bn of the spending from an allocation of N5.05tn, while rehabilitation projects received N384.49bn from a budget of N4.32tn. The government also released N16.37bn for the maintenance of roads and bridges out of a total provision of N18.18bn.
The trend continued in 2025, with the government budgeting N7.22tn for road construction and rehabilitation projects. Treasury records showed that N670.68bn had been released during the period, translating to an implementation rate of 9.29 per cent.
Of the amount released, road construction projects received N269.75bn from an allocation of N3.42tn, while rehabilitation and repair projects attracted N400.94bn from a budget of N3.80tn.
The 2026 figures indicate a sharp rise in budgetary provisions. As of April 2026, the government had earmarked N35.79tn for road construction, rehabilitation and maintenance projects, the highest within the four-year period.
However, only N597.08bn had been released, representing 1.67 per cent of the approved budget. Specifically, road construction projects had a budgetary provision of N23.61tn, with releases amounting to N293.06bn.
Similarly, rehabilitation and repair projects received N300.80bn from a total allocation of N12.03tn. Road and bridge maintenance projects had an allocation of N144.64bn, but only N3.22bn had been released as of the end of April. Treasury records show that N26.54bn was released in April alone, leaving an outstanding budget balance of N23.32tn yet to be funded.
The data indicate that although substantial sums have been earmarked for road projects over the years, actual cash releases remain significantly lower than approved allocations, reflecting the financing constraints that often affect capital project implementation.
Further analysis showed that road construction consistently attracted the largest allocations. Budgetary provisions rose from N1.09tn in 2023 to N23.61tn in 2026, reflecting the Federal Government’s increasing focus on large-scale highway projects.
Road rehabilitation spending remained substantial throughout the period. Allocations increased from N1.42tn in 2023 to N12.03tn in 2026, suggesting a parallel effort to repair existing infrastructure.
Maintenance received the smallest allocations but recorded the highest execution rate. In 2024, road and bridge maintenance achieved a 90.05 per cent implementation rate, compared to less than 10 per cent for construction and rehabilitation.
Overall, the Federal Government budgeted N54.93tn for road-related projects between 2023 and April 2026 but released N2.68tn during the same period.
The data also showed that while budgetary provisions expanded significantly over the years, the percentage of funds released declined. In 2023, about 25 per cent of the approved budget was released. This fell to 8.36 per cent in 2024 and 9.29 per cent in 2025.
As of April 2026, only 1.67 per cent of the total budgetary provision had been released. The development comes amid the Federal Government’s renewed focus on infrastructure as a catalyst for economic growth.
Several major road projects are currently underway across the country, including the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Road, the Sokoto-Badagry Super Highway and other strategic federal highways aimed at improving connectivity across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones and stimulating economic activities.
The Minister of Works, David Umahi, recently disclosed that the Federal Ministry of Works would prioritise the completion of major highways and the execution of four presidential legacy projects in its 2026 capital plan.
According to the minister, the ministry inherited over 2,000 ongoing projects in 2023, many of which have been rolled over into subsequent budgets due to funding constraints.
Umahi also told lawmakers during the defence of the ministry’s 2026 budget proposal that the Federal Government owed contractors about N2.2tn for certified works executed between 2024 and 2025, underscoring the financing challenges facing the road sector despite rising budgetary allocations.
He added that only a fraction of expected capital releases had been made, forcing the ministry to re-scope and prioritise projects.
The Open Treasury Portal, which tracks government revenues and expenditures, provides a snapshot of how much of the approved budgets for capital projects has translated into actual spending.
Although the latest figures point to an unprecedented expansion in planned spending on road infrastructure, the challenge, analysts say, will be ensuring that budgetary commitments are backed by timely releases to deliver the intended benefits to Nigerians.
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