The Federal Government of Nigeria requires NGN921bn ($5.79bn) in order to complete 195 ongoing road programmes across the country, according to the minister of works Mike Onolememen.

Onolememen said that the total cost of all the ongoing federal road projects is nearly NGN1.39trn ($8.74bn), which cannot be completely financed through the government’s annual budgetary provision.

The minister believes that the sole dependence on budgetary provisions will delay the completion of current projects by around eight years.

The government is considering a multilateral approach along with a public private partnership (PPP) programme to add up to 6,000km of roads across the country, in order to complete the projects on time.

"The total cost of all the ongoing federal road projects is nearly NGN1.39trn ($8.74bn), which cannot be completely financed through the government’s annual budgetary provision."

Onolememen said that over the past 12 years, the federal works authorities invested in road projects in the six zones of the country, including 31 completed road projects in the north central zones, covering 1,054km, 30 ongoing projects in north east covering 1,461km, and 23 ongoing projects in northwest covering 1,028km.

The federal ministry invested in 40 ongoing projects in the south-east covering 978km,; 34 ongoing schemes in south covering 876km, and 37 ongoing projects in south-west covering 1,230km.

Out of the total NGN1.397trn, NGN523.6bn ($3.29bn) has been certified and NGN475.5bn ($2.99bn) has been paid, leaving a balance of NGN921bn of the portfolio.

Onolememen said that out of a total road network of 200,000km in Nigeria, only about 65,000km is paved in bitumen.

In March 2013, the Federal Executive Council, FEC, has approved NGN51.4bn ($323.2m) worth contracts for the construction and improvement of 13 roads across Nigeria.