Transport Ministry Secures $200m Private Investment

The minister of transportation, Senator Senator Said Ahmed Alkali has revealed that the ministry secured a private investment of $200 million in 2025.

The minister, who did not reveal the names of the company involved in the deal, stated that despite government inability to release funds for the 2025 budget, the minister sort private companies collaborations to bring in funds for the development of the transport sector.

Among notable collaborations the ministry had last year were the proposed De-Sadel Nigeria Limited integrated high-speed rail, power generation and natural gas project, spanning about 4,000 kilometres nationwide under a Design-Build-Finance-Operate-Maintain (DBFOM) model.

Speaking on the projections for 2026, Alkali said the 2026 budget proposal is aimed at consolidating ongoing projects, addressing funding limitations, expanding rail and road infrastructure, decongesting major commercial hubs, and driving economic growth and national integration.

He outlined key interventions in the 2026 budget to include the development of modern bus terminals, railway expansion and strategic port connectivity, as well as the continuation of nationally important railway projects under the Nigerian Railway Modernisation Programme.

Alkali further explained that the 2026 budget proposal largely consolidates the 2025 Appropriation, with about 70 per cent of projects rolled over into the new fiscal year due to funding constraints and delayed cash backing.

He said the rolled-over items had been reviewed and aligned with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, with emphasis on completing ongoing projects, protecting public investments, and sustaining momentum in the land transport sector.