UK, Nigeria commit $75m to infrastructure development

The United Kingdom and Nigeria have reaffirmed their partnership on infrastructure development aimed at accelerating growth, strengthening governance systems, and unlocking private-sector investment across critical sectors.

This comes as the United Kingdom–Nigeria Infrastructure Advisory Facility (UKNIAF) concludes a six-year phase of technical support to Nigeria’s infrastructure landscape, celebrating major achievements while spotlighting the work required to sustain reforms.

The programme, launched in 2019 as part of a 16-year legacy of UK-backed infrastructure support, brought together more than 100 senior stakeholders from government, development partners, finance institutions and the private sector at its close-out event held Tuesday, 2 December, in Abuja.

According to a statement by the British High Commission on Friday, UKNIAF, since inception, has delivered technical assistance and advisory support across the power, infrastructure finance and roads sectors.

The Commission noted that its interventions have helped embed evidence-based reforms, strengthen key institutions and mobilise finance, creating a more transparent, climate-smart and investor-ready environment for infrastructure delivery at both federal and state levels.

It said that during plenary and panel sessions, representatives from ministries, agencies, development finance institutions and private organisations reflected on how UKNIAF’s reforms had taken root and outlined what would be required to maintain momentum.

“Participants acknowledged the programme’s contribution to economic growth and improved livelihoods nationwide.

“In the power sector, the programme recorded landmark achievements, including Nigeria’s first Integrated Resource Plan, which charts a low-carbon, least-cost pathway for expanding electricity supply.

“It also helped strengthen regulatory capabilities at the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), enabling advanced, real-time monitoring of tariffs, grid flows and outages.

“UKNIAF further supported several states in establishing subnational electricity markets to harness local energy resources more effectively.

“The infrastructure sector also saw substantial gains. UKNIAF helped mobilise $75 million from the African Development Bank for the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone (SAPZ) programme and guided states on adopting sustainable mini-grids and solar projects.

“It also supported the design of a new project preparation facility, allocated ₦21 billion in both the 2024 and 2025 national budgets to develop a pipeline of bankable infrastructure projects capable of attracting large-scale investment”, the statement read.

Frank Edozie, UKNIAF Team Lead, said, “UKNIAF’s close-out is not an endpoint but a handover for sustained delivery. For over six years, we strengthened institutions with tools that make Nigeria’s infrastructure landscape more transparent, climate-smart and attractive to investors. This legacy now sits with our partners to sustain and grow.”

Adebayo Adelabu, Minister of Power, commended the programme’s impact on the electricity sector.

“The technical assistance, capacity development and advisory services provided under UKNIAF have laid a firmer foundation for the sustainable and inclusive electricity supply industry we are building today,” he said.

Read also: UK issues fresh travel advisory over rising insecurity in Nigeria

Cynthia Rowe, Head of Development Corporation at the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) in Nigeria, also praised the partnership’s success.

“From supporting pioneering states to take control of their electricity markets, to unlocking $75 million in financing and designing Nigeria’s Climate Change Fund to attract global climate investment, our shared achievements demonstrate what is possible,” she noted.

Chidiebere Onyia, Secretary to the Government of Enugu State, highlighted the programme’s influence at the subnational level.

“UKNIAF’s impact is reflected in the ambassadors who have transferred knowledge and experience into national and subnational infrastructure delivery. While the programme is ending, its legacy lives on”, Onyia said.

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