By peterside Rejoice Eneky
The Federal Government has announced plans to intensify lobbying efforts at the National Assembly to ensure the passage of the Nigeria Road Fund Bill, a crucial piece of legislation aimed at creating a sustainable financing model for the country’s road infrastructure.
The Minister of State for Works, Barrister Bello Muhammad Goronyo, disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja during the second day of the 2025 Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Summit, organized by the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC).
The summit brought together private sector players, ministries, and regulatory agencies to explore sustainable strategies for infrastructure development in Nigeria.
According to Goronyo, the Road Fund Bill, currently at the committee stage in the Senate, proposes a dedicated fund that would source revenues from road users and other statutory channels to finance the maintenance and rehabilitation of federal roads. The bill, which has been pending since the 8th Assembly, recently scaled second reading in the 10th Assembly.
“For us at the Ministry of Works, we fully align with Mr. President’s vision to deliver quality road infrastructure across Nigeria,” Goronyo said. “To actualize this, we need to push for the passage of the Nigeria Road Fund Bill. We’ll continue lobbying and reviewing key clauses to reflect the ministry’s priorities and those of Nigerians.”
He clarified that while the executive cannot interfere with legislative processes, it can engage in advocacy and consultations to drive the process forward. “The National Assembly is an independent arm. We respect that, but we are consulting stakeholders, including former lawmakers, to lend their support,” the minister added.
Goronyo also revealed that the Ministry of Works is collaborating with the ICRC, the Ministry of Justice, and the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) to ensure all road concession agreements under the PPP framework are legally sound and transparent to prevent future disputes.
“The federal government is determined to ensure the best possible concession agreements that stand the test of time,” he said.
He expressed optimism that the recently approved National Policy on Public-Private Partnership would boost investor confidence and unlock financing in key sectors, including roads, power, transport, and housing.
Also speaking at the summit, Director General of the ICRC, Dr. Jobson Oseodion Ewalefoh, assured participants that no existing PPP contracts had been canceled under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
“Rather than cancellations, the government is only reviewing contracts to align them with present realities. There’s no agenda to undermine private sector participation,” Ewalefoh stated.
He emphasized that the summit aimed to foster synergy between the public and private sectors to close Nigeria’s vast infrastructure gap.
“This platform is about building partnerships and actionable solutions that can move the nation’s infrastructure sector forward,” he said.
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