The Federal Government released about N2.68tn for the construction, rehabilitation and maintenance of roads and bridges nationwide between 2023 and April 2026.
However, the analysis showed a wide gap between budgeted allocations and actual releases, with N54.93tn earmarked for road projects during the period, according to The PUNCH.
The figures underscore the government’s growing focus on infrastructure development while highlighting the funding challenges that continue to hamper capital project execution.
The development comes amid the ongoing Renewed Hope Media Tour organised by the Presidential Communications Team to highlight projects being executed under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Data obtained from the Open Treasury Portal on Tuesday showed that road projects received a budgetary allocation of N2.53tn in 2023, with N631.51bn released for implementation, representing 24.95 per cent of the approved amount.
The Treasury data did not specify the projects that received the funds, nor did it indicate whether any of the Federal Government’s four legacy highway projects were included in the disbursements.
A breakdown of the 2023 releases showed that road construction projects received N280.14bn from a budget of N1.09tn, while rehabilitation and repair works got N345.93bn out of N1.42tn allocated. Road and bridge maintenance projects received N5.44bn from a provision of N14.68bn.
In 2024, the Federal Government significantly increased funding provisions for road projects, allocating N9.39tn to the sector. However, only N784.60bn was released, representing 8.36 per cent of the approved budget.
Of the amount released, road construction projects received N383.74bn from an allocation of N5.05tn, while rehabilitation works got N384.49bn out of N4.32tn budgeted. Road and bridge maintenance projects also received N16.37bn from a provision of N18.18bn.
The pattern persisted in 2025, with N7.22tn budgeted for road construction and rehabilitation projects. Treasury records showed that N670.68bn had been released, representing an implementation rate of 9.29 per cent.
Rehabilitation and repair projects received N300.80bn despite a total allocation of N12.03tn, while road and bridge maintenance projects got only N3.22bn out of a budgeted N144.64bn as of the end of April.
Treasury records further showed that N26.54bn was released in April alone, leaving an outstanding balance of N23.32tn in approved road-sector funding yet to be disbursed.
The data show that while the government has consistently allocated substantial funds to road projects, actual releases have fallen far below approved budgets, underscoring the financing challenges that continue to hinder the execution of capital projects.
Further analysis showed that road construction projects consistently received the largest share of allocations. Budgetary provisions rose from N1.09tn in 2023 to N23.61tn in 2026, reflecting the Federal Government’s growing emphasis on major highway infrastructure.
Funding for road rehabilitation also remained significant over the period, increasing from N1.42tn in 2023 to N12.03tn in 2026, indicating a parallel effort to upgrade and restore existing road networks.
Although maintenance attracted the smallest allocations, it recorded the highest execution rate. In 2024, road and bridge maintenance achieved an implementation rate of 90.05 per cent, compared to less than 10 per cent for construction and rehabilitation projects.
Overall, the Federal Government budgeted N54.93tn for road-related projects between 2023 and April 2026 but released only N2.68tn over the period.
The data further showed that although budgetary allocations increased significantly, the proportion of funds released declined steadily.
About 24.95 per cent of the approved budget was released in 2023, dropping to 8.36 per cent in 2024 and 9.29 per cent in 2025.
As of April 2026, only 1.67 per cent of the year’s total allocation had been disbursed. The trend comes amid the Federal Government’s renewed emphasis on infrastructure development as a key driver of economic growth.
