By Kehinde Adeoye


The Federal Government is focused on building infrastructures that would stand the test of time. President Muhammad Buhari especially,  believes that infrastructural development is key to nation building. He has said on many occasions that his government is committed to “changing the face” of Nigeria, setting up structures and projects that can positively affect people, especially at the grassroots.


Over the years, different opinions have been formed by members of the public in regards to the infrastructural development of this government. While many are applauding the initiative of the president, a few others are criticizing it. We have heard statements like, ”na road we wan chop?” “how that one take affect me?” “na just another way to chop money”.


As much as people are entitled to their opinions, it is also important to fact-check the opinions and be objective. The honest truth is that previous administrations could not meet up with the promises of revamping the country's infrastructure with a lot of abandoned projects hanging here and there, especially with just designs and plans to show Nigerians as progress.

It’s hardly disputable that infrastructural transformation is crucial and imperative to foster economic development and prosperity in any society. Investments in infrastructure contribute to higher productivity and growth; facilitate trade and connectivity and promote economic inclusion.

Presently, the 156km Lagos-Ibadan Standard Gauge Rail has been completed and was commissioned for commercial use last year. Over the years, rail transportation has been a smart, sustainable, and efficient way to move freight and people. It promote economic growth, cut greenhouse gas emissions, and are a compact, clean way to move millions of tons of goods and millions of passengers across continents, countries, and cities.

Rail transportation is also one of the best options for public transport, based on the amount of fuel and emissions per passenger, the number of passengers carried, reduced road accidents, lower costs, increased safety, reduced use of land, increased speed, and more.

Physical connectivity between rural and urban areas is essential for economic growth in developing countries. Close to 20% of the money lent to developing countries from the World Bank is for transportation infrastructural projects. This is more than social services, health, and education combined. Improved mobility is an important factor for reducing poverty, and allows people from rural areas to commute to urban areas with greater employment opportunities.

It should be noteworthy that the Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF) has invested over a billion dollars in three flagship projects: Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, private investment into the development of key roads and bridges like Bodo-Bonny in Rivers and Apapa-Oshodi-Oworonshoki-Ojota in Lagos, including completion of New Terminals for International Airports in Lagos.

Road transportation is one of the arteries through which the economy pulses. By linking producers to markets, workers to jobs, students to school, and the sick to hospitals, roads are vital to any development agenda. 

Since 2002, the World Bank has constructed or rehabilitated more than 260,000 km of roads. It lends more for roads than for education, health, and social services combined. Transport infrastructure is one of the key factors on which country’s growth depends. When the transportation developments increase, the accessibility of public and businesses to reach the jobs, goods, services and activities, the productivity also increases.


This rise may be due to transport infrastructure enhancements and decreased travel time. As the labor market temporarily is brought closer to their workplaces because of improved travel time, companies experience improvements in worker’s productivity. A planned network of roads helps to minimize the transport cost, boost the delivery of farming material and improves special agricultural production as well as distribution.

Under the current administration, there has been a presidential approval for the establishment of College of Education in Osun state and  a federal polytechnic in Oyo state. Knowledge accumulation and application have become major factors in economic development and are increasingly at the core of a country’s competitive advantage in the global economy.

Tertiary education institutions prepare individuals not only by providing them with adequate and relevant job skills, but also by preparing them to be active members of their communities and societies. 

The Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority, NSIA, has also seen total additional inflows of around US$2 billion under the Buhari administration – since the original US$1 billion which the Fund kicked off with in 2012. Then, of course, there was the launch of the Nigeria Innovation Fund, by the NSIA, to address investment opportunities in the domestic technology sector: data networking, data centres, software, agri-tech, bio-tech, et cetera.


The Federal Government has tried to spur innovation in several ways, including the establishment of a Presidential Approval for the handover of the National Theatre, Lagos, to the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Bankers Committee, for redevelopment into a world-class Creative Park serving the theatre, film, fashion, music, and ICT sectors. The handover has been done, and redevelopment work (valued at about 20 billion Naira) has now kicked off. This would in turn generate more revenue for Lagos state send the entire southwest as a whole.


A lot of times the president has been accused of prioritizing the North when it comes to infrastructural developments. How come we have so much projects going on in southwest ? Despite distractions and detractors, the President remains firmly focused on providing the infrastructural goodies that accelerate physical and human development.

Buhari/Osinbajo administration is really focusing on infrastructure

In terms of infrastructure, PDP didn't do up to 5% of what the APC have done.

To candid view Buhari/Osinbajo has 90% in infrastructure

So the Lagos Ibadan, Lagos Benin
and Ikorodu Sagamu roads are fixed?

Excellent !!
if that is the case

You cant take this milstone achievement from this administration, it is visible to the blind. This present govenment has transform our nation's infrastructure.