UK-Nigeria Infrastructure Programme Ends After 6 Years

The United Kingdom–Nigeria Infrastructure Advisory Facility (UKNIAF) has concluded its current phase after six years of providing technical assistance to support infrastructure reform and investment in Nigeria.

The close of the programme was marked at an event held in Abuja on December 2, where senior government officials, development partners and private sector stakeholders reviewed the programme’s activities and outcomes since its launch in 2019.

UKNIAF is funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and operates as a flexible, demand-led technical assistance programme, primarily supporting the Federal Government of Nigeria. It is the third programme in a 16-year history of UK-backed infrastructure support to Nigeria.

According to the organisers, the programme delivered technical assistance across the power, infrastructure finance and roads sectors, supporting federal and state institutions. The interventions focused on reforms, institutional capacity and project preparation.

Participants at the close-out event reviewed activities undertaken under the programme and discussed challenges and priorities for sustaining progress in Nigeria’s power, infrastructure finance and road sectors.

In the power sector, UKNIAF supported the development of Nigeria’s first Integrated Resource Plan. The programme also supported the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) in developing data systems to monitor tariffs, grid flows and outages, and assisted states in establishing electricity markets following sector reforms.

In infrastructure finance, UKNIAF supported the mobilisation of $75 million in financing from the African Development Bank for the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone programme by providing project preparation assistance to two states. The programme also worked with the Rural Electrification Agency on mini-grid and solar projects through new delivery models and technical standards.

The programme further contributed to the design of a project preparation facility aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s pipeline of bankable infrastructure projects, with N21 billion allocated in the 2024 and 2025 federal budgets to operationalise the facility.

Speaking at the event, UKNIAF Team Lead, Frank Edozie, said the programme’s close marked a transition, noting that tools developed under the initiative would be sustained by partner institutions.

The Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, said the technical assistance and advisory services provided under UKNIAF supported ongoing reforms in the power sector.

Also speaking, the Head of Development Cooperation at the UK FCDO in Nigeria, Cynthia Rowe, referenced milestones achieved under the programme, including support to states on electricity markets and project preparation.

At the subnational level, the Secretary to the Enugu State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, said the programme supported decision-making processes at the state level.

The event ended with participants committing to sustain reforms and apply knowledge products developed under the programme. Attendees included representatives of federal and state governments, development finance institutions, the private sector and civil society organisations.