North-East geopolitical zone recorded the strongest implementation performance for African Development Bank (AfDB)-funded projects in Nigeria in 2025, while several projects approved for the South-East suffered slow disbursement and delayed execution.
This was disclosed in the AfDB’s 2025 Country Portfolio Performance Review for Nigeria made available on its website, which assessed the implementation status and performance of projects financed by the bank as of December 2025.
According to the report, AfDB’s active portfolio in Nigeria rose to $6.2 billion across 53 projects spanning all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. The projects cut across transport, energy, agriculture, water resources, health, education, and private sector development.
The report identified the Inclusive Basic Service Delivery and Livelihood Empowerment Programme in the North-East as the bank’s largest regional intervention. The project, valued at $259.5 million, covers Borno, Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe, and Taraba states.
The programme focuses on healthcare, water supply and sanitation, education, nutrition, support for women-led agribusinesses, MSMEs, and livelihood assistance for vulnerable households.
AfDB said implementation outcomes in the region were significant, with 45 out of 60 health facilities either completed or nearing completion. More than 18,000 pupils also received school furniture, uniforms, and learning materials.
The report further stated that 1,105 MSME start-ups benefitted from the programme, while 1,507 women-led agribusiness groups received support. In addition, 3,268 vulnerable persons were provided with cash transfers or productive assets.
In contrast, the South-East recorded slower project implementation despite securing sizeable project approvals.
According to the report, clearly identifiable projects in the region received approvals worth approximately $171.3 million, but only $30.93 million had been disbursed as of December 2025.
The Ebonyi State Ring Road Project emerged as the best-performing project in the region, with disbursement reaching about $29.6 million from a total approved sum of $54.6 million.
However, the Abia State Integrated Infrastructure Project recorded extremely low disbursement levels. Out of its $115 million approval, only about $0.13 million had been released by the end of the review period.
AfDB also disclosed that the Abia Integrated Infrastructure Study recorded better implementation progress, with $1.2 million disbursed from its $1.7 million approval.
The report further noted that Imo State is participating in the $210 million Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones Phase I programme, although contract awards for the project were still pending as of the second quarter of 2026.
Enugu State, meanwhile, benefitted from technical assistance under the Electricity Act implementation support programme.
Using the review exchange rate of N1,473 to the dollar, total project approvals for the South-East were estimated at about N252.3 billion, while actual disbursement stood at approximately N45.6 billion.
At the national level, AfDB said Nigeria’s overall project disbursement rate improved to 53 per cent by December 2025.
The bank also reported a reduction in “flagged operations” — projects considered at risk of delays, cost overruns, or failure to achieve development objectives — from 42 per cent in January 2025 to 25 per cent by December 2025.
According to the bank, the improvement was driven by enhanced monitoring and coordination involving the AfDB, the Federal Ministry of Finance, and project implementation agencies.
Despite the progress, the report highlighted several challenges affecting project delivery nationwide, including delays during project start-up, procurement bottlenecks, shortages in counterpart funding, and slow disbursement processes.
AfDB noted that while the South-East secured major infrastructure approvals, many of the projects remained at early implementation stages and had yet to translate into visible infrastructure development.
The North-East, however, recorded stronger visible impacts because many projects in the region had advanced further in execution.
The report listed expected completion dates for some major projects, including November 30, 2026 for the Ebonyi Ring Road Project, April 30, 2029 for the Abia State Integrated Infrastructure Project, and December 2026 for the Inclusive Basic Service Delivery Programme in the North-East.
