Debt, Delays & Bulldozers: Inside Nigeria’s Troubled Sokoto–Badagry Highway Push
Despite trillions of naira in approvals and fresh foreign loan requests, field observations reveal uneven construction progress across critical sections of the ambitious highway project.
NIGERIA’S proposed Sokoto–Badagry Super Highway, one of the most ambitious road infrastructure projects under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, is drawing renewed scrutiny over funding transparency, project execution and the nation’s growing debt burden.
A recent independent tracking of the project from both the Lagos and Sokoto axes revealed contrasting levels of activity, with some completed stretches visible in parts of the North-West while several southern sections remain at preliminary construction stages.
At the Lagos corridor, work was observed within Ogun State, extending from Diya Gate in OPIC Estate, Agbara, toward Iyana Idoye and Lusada in Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area. Construction activities appeared sparse around Odugbe, while sections near Atan reportedly showed only one carriageway under development by Hitech Construction Company Limited.
On the northern axis in Illela, activities including bush clearing, sand filling and site preparation were ongoing. Sections extending toward Katami in Silame Local Government Area and portions within Kebbi State reportedly showed more visible progress, including concrete pavement and solar-powered street lighting installations.
Trillions Approved, Limited Releases
Official approvals linked to the highway have continued to expand since 2024. Records indicate that the Federal Executive Council approved contracts worth about ₦2.36 trillion for different segments of the project.
The approvals include ₦947 billion for a Kebbi single carriageway section approved in August 2024, ₦456 billion for a 120-kilometre Sokoto section flagged off in October 2024 and an additional ₦961 billion approved in August 2025 for a second Kebbi carriageway.
The latest financing push came with President Tinubu’s request to the National Assembly seeking approval for a $516.3 million syndicated loan from Deutsche Bank to finance sections of the corridor. Both the Senate and House of Representatives have since approved the request. The loan carries a nine-year tenor, including a three-year moratorium, and is backed by partial guarantees from the Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit.
Government officials argue that the approximately 1,000-kilometre highway will strengthen north-south connectivity, reduce logistics costs and stimulate trade, agriculture and national integration. The corridor is expected to pass through Sokoto State, Kebbi State, Niger State, Kwara State, Oyo State, Ogun State and Lagos State before terminating in Badagry.
Debt Concerns and Accountability Questions
However, concerns are growing over the project’s financing structure and implementation pace.
Minister of Works David Umahi disclosed earlier in 2026 that only about ₦210.31 billion, representing less than 10 per cent of anticipated 2025 capital releases, had been paid to contractors, while contractors handling federal road projects nationwide were owed approximately ₦2.2 trillion.
The projected cost of the Sokoto–Badagry Super Highway alone is estimated at over ₦6.5 trillion, raising fresh concerns about Nigeria’s rising dependence on borrowing at a time when debt servicing already consumes a significant portion of federal revenue.
Analysts and civic observers are now urging the Federal Government and National Assembly to publish quarterly disbursement reports, ensure transparent scrutiny of foreign loan agreements and accelerate payments owed to contractors to prevent further project delays.
For many Nigerians, the highway represents both a symbol of national ambition and a test of whether large-scale infrastructure can be delivered with transparency, fiscal discipline and measurable public value.
