Nigeria requires $120bn to build federal roads – TUC

The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) says the country would require an estimated $120bn to construct all federal roads — a figure nearly four times Nigeria’s annual budget.

Speaking at the second edition of the TUC South-West Summit 2025 in Lagos, TUC President-General Festus Osifo described the gap between infrastructure needs and available resources as “alarming,” accusing much of the political leadership of lacking vision and innovation to drive economic revival.

Citing a 2013 study, Osifo noted that with Nigeria’s budget standing between $30bn and $35bn — already stretched across salaries, education, healthcare, and defence — road funding alone would exhaust four times the total fiscal allocation.

“We must grow our revenue base and stop pretending oil alone can sustain this country,” he told delegates. “Most political leaders wait for monthly allocations before acting. This must change.”

Osifo criticised decades of missed opportunities in agriculture and solid minerals, contrasting Nigeria’s performance with smaller nations earning more from farming than Nigeria does from oil.

Representing Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Lagos Commissioner for Establishments and Training, Afolabi Ayantayo, agreed with the concerns, calling for stronger government-labour partnerships to boost productivity, secure export markets, and address inflation.

The summit, themed “Collaborate to Transform: Building Capacity for Regional Excellence and Workers’ Welfare,” brought together labour leaders, policymakers, and private sector experts to explore strategies in agriculture, leadership, communication, emotional intelligence, and artificial intelligence in the workplace.

Osifo closed by warning that without bold and innovative leadership, Nigeria risks remaining stuck in a cycle of inadequate budgets, decaying infrastructure, and wasted opportunities.