The Federal Government has proposed an unprecedented N3.23tn for the construction, rehabilitation and expansion of federal roads in the 2026 budget, signalling one of the boldest infrastructure pushes in Nigeria’s recent history and a dramatic shift in capital spending priorities.

The figure represents a 489 per cent surge in just two years when compared with the N548.56bn allocated to road projects in the 2024 budget. It also more than triples the N1.013tn earmarked for the Ministry of Works in 2025 for the construction and rehabilitation of 468 federal roads, underscoring a rapid escalation in the scale and ambition of the government’s road investment programme.

Budget documents from the Ministry of Works show that, within the proposed 2026 envelope, N1.39tn is dedicated specifically to the construction and provision of roads, while N285.62bn is set aside for rehabilitation and repair works. A further N1.56tn is allocated to the construction and provision of related infrastructure, bringing the ministry’s total capital budget to about N3.24tn.

The administration has repeatedly framed road infrastructure as central to its economic strategy, arguing that better highways will reduce transport costs, ease the movement of goods and people, support regional trade and help revive struggling sectors such as agriculture and manufacturing. The new budget push comes against a backdrop of mounting public frustration over the poor state of key federal highways, rising logistics costs and frequent accidents on dilapidated routes.

Officials at the Ministry of Works say the government is currently grappling with 2,604 inherited road projects at various stages of completion. The 2026 proposals appear designed both to accelerate long-delayed contracts and to launch new strategic corridors across the six geopolitical zones.

On the Abuja–Lokoja axis, a critical north–south gateway, the government has proposed N7.7bn for the reconstruction of Sections I and II of the Abuja–Lokoja Road, covering the Zuba–Abaji stretch. An additional N4.9bn is allocated for the completion of outstanding dualised sections of the same corridor, spanning a remaining 86.6 kilometres. The Koton-Karfi–Abaji Road, Abuja-bound, in Kogi State is to receive N4.2bn for reconstruction, reflecting the importance of the route for traffic flowing between the Federal Capital Territory and the southern states.

In the North, the Kano–Maiduguri corridor, a major economic and security lifeline linking the North-West to the North-East, features prominently. Section I (Kano–Wudil–Shuarin) is allocated N13.3bn, Section IV (Potiskum–Damaturu, including rehabilitation of failed portions) gets N4.2bn, and Section V (Damaturu–Maiduguri) is to receive N7bn. A separate N7.01bn is proposed for the reconstruction of Section III of the Mubi–Maiduguri Road, covering Madagali to Bama through Pulka and Gwoza, an area that has been heavily affected by insurgency and where improved access is seen as vital for stabilisation and economic recovery.

The Kano–Katsina Road dualisation project is another major beneficiary. Phase II, stretching from KM 74+100 to KM 152+655, is allocated N52.5bn, while Phase I, from Dawanau Roundabout in Kano to the Katsina State border, is to receive N23.8bn. The dualisation and reconstruction of the Kano–Kwanar–Danja–Hadejia Road (Section II) is proposed to get N6.31bn, further entrenching Kano’s role as a transport hub for the northern region.

On the Lokoja–Benin Road, a key artery linking the North-Central to the South-South, the budget proposal includes allocations for multiple phases: N14m each for sections covering Obajana–Okene, Okene–Auchi, Auchi–Ehor and Ehor–Benin City, alongside N14m for rehabilitation works along the same corridor. Though relatively modest compared with other big-ticket items, these provisions are part of a broader effort to stabilise one of the country’s most heavily used freight routes.

In the South-East and South-South, the long-troubled Enugu–Port Harcourt Road receives renewed attention. N11.9bn is proposed for the rehabilitation of Section III (Enugu–Lokpanta), while Section IV (Aba–Port Harcourt) is allocated N7.7bn. A further N6.3bn is earmarked for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of Section II of the Enugu–Port Harcourt dual carriageway, covering Umuahia Tower to the Aba Township Rail/Road Bridge. These allocations target a corridor that has for years symbolised federal neglect in the region.

Other southern projects include N14m for the reconstruction of Section II of the Benin–Sapele–Warri Road, N12.6bn for the reconstruction of the Ikorodu–Itoikin Road in Lagos, and N5.6bn for the rehabilitation of the Asaba–Agbor dual carriageway in Delta State. Emergency repair works on the Eko Bridge in Lagos, a vital link within the country’s commercial capital, are allocated N7bn, while N70m is set aside for the completion of Phase II of the Utor Bridge project in Delta State.

Rehabilitation works are spread across multiple states, often in relatively small but symbolically important tranches. N700m each is proposed for the Potiskum–Fika–Bajoga–Gombe Road, New Bussa–Kaima Road, Jega–Kwanar Sanagi–Kebbe–Gummi Road, Share–Pategi Road, the Ibadan–Oyo Dual Carriageway, Ohan and Moro bridges on the Ilorin–Igbeti Road, Kabba–Ayere–Isua–Ipele Road, Uturu–Isuikwuato–Akara Road, and several federal roads in Anambra, Jigawa, Ogun, Oyo, Ekiti, Yobe and Cross River states.

Among other notable allocations are N14bn for the construction and rehabilitation of the Wusasa–Jos–Turunku–Mararaban Jos Road in Kaduna, N4.21bn for the Agaie–Katcha–Barro Road in Niger State, N10.5bn for the rehabilitation of the Katsina Ala–Takum Road, and N7.7bn each for the construction of the Oju–Adum–Okuku Road in Benue State and the reconstruction of the Ijebu-Igbo–Ita Egba–Owonowen Road linking Ogun and Oyo states.

Beyond individual contracts, the ministry has proposed large regional envelopes to top up ongoing works. An additional N120bn is earmarked for projects in the South-South, N160bn for the South-West, and N100bn each for the South-East, North-East and North-Central, with another N120bn for the North-West. A further N600bn is reserved for new road projects across the six geopolitical zones, while N100bn is set aside as a contingency fund to address unforeseen needs or cost escalations.

The proposal also leans heavily on external financing. About N367.9bn is allocated for multilateral and bilateral tied loans, including funding for the Lafia Bypass and the dualisation of the 9th Mile–Otukpo–Makurdi Road. In addition, N157bn is provided as counterpart funding for the China Harbour–executed Makurdi–9th Mile project, reflecting the continued role of foreign lenders and contractors in Nigeria’s transport infrastructure build-out.

Smaller but telling line items include N3.5m for Servicom and hypersensitivity programmes and N2.1m for coding and engraving of ministry equipment, underscoring efforts to improve service delivery and asset management within the ministry, even as the bulk of the funds are channelled into concrete and asphalt.

Altogether, the 2026 Works budget outlines one of the most expansive road investment programmes in years, spanning reconstruction, rehabilitation, dualisation, emergency repairs and new greenfield projects nationwide. The proposed road spending stands out as one of the largest single-sector capital allocations, reflecting the administration’s belief that highways are a key driver of economic growth, trade facilitation and national integration.

Yet the scale of the ambition raises familiar questions. Analysts and civil society groups have warned that without stronger project management, transparent procurement, timely release of funds and stricter oversight of contractors, the country risks adding to its stock of abandoned or perpetually “ongoing” projects rather than delivering completed, motorable roads.

Lawmakers are expected to subject the proposals to intense scrutiny during the budget approval process, interrogating project selection, regional balance, cost estimates and the ministry’s capacity to execute such a large portfolio. For many Nigerians, the test will not be the size of the figures on paper, but whether the country’s battered highways finally begin to show visible, lasting improvement.