Nigeria mega projects

Nigeria mega projects: Nigeria’s economy is particularly robust. The West African state continues to enjoy healthy growth to the tune of 5-6% annually, and this looks set to continue in the near future. Nigeria is also Africa’s largest economy by some margin – its GDP hit US $569bn billion in 2014 and this can be attributed to the many developments taking place in the country.

With significant investment, the construction industry continues to boom. Here are some of the top ongoing mega projects in Nigeria to watch in the near future.

Lagos-Calabar Railway

Lagos-Calabar Railway line, which is also known as the West-East Coastal rail line is a rail infrastructure project under development in Nigeria to link Lagos, the largest and capital city of the West African republic in the south-west region to Calabar, a port city in the south-east region, near the border with the neighbouring republic of Cameroon.

It would pass through several states, including Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo, Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, and Cross River.

The project involves the construction of a total of 1,402 kilometres of railway line in addition to railway platforms, and 22 railway stations including ancillary facilities, administrative space, and level crossings. Other works include the installation of safety systems, electrical systems, lighting systems, and signalling systems, as well as the laying of tracks and electricity lines.

Eko Atlantic

Finally, Nigeria has its own smart city, a megaproject officially known as the Nigeria International Commerce City or famously the Eko Atlantic City. The project is being developed in the Lagos State of Nigeria, on land reclaimed from the Atlantic Ocean. It borders the Victoria Island district, and the Phase 1 side of Lekki to the north, while the rest of the Western, eastern, and southern borders are a coastline.

With a total of 10 proposed districts, spread all over approximately 10 square kilometres of land area, the project upon completion is set to fulfil the needs for residential, commercial, financial, and tourist accommodations. It will accommodate at least 250,000 residents and have a daily flow of 150,000 commuters. It is also designed to help in stopping the erosion of Lagos City’s coastline.

The city’s master plan was developed by South Energyx Nigeria Limited, a subsidiary of the Chagoury Group, in collaboration with various local and international partners. The plan focuses on creating a high-quality urban environment with modern infrastructure and sustainable practices.

Lagos Light Rail

Lagos Rail Mass Transit is a 35-kilometre urban rail system that is under construction in Lagos. The project entails the construction of a total of seven lines (Red, Blue, Green, Yellow, Purple, Brown, and Orange).

Managed by the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), the project also includes the installation of railway equipment such as electric power, signalling, rolling stock, and fare collection equipment.

Upon completion, it will have an estimated ridership of a minimum of 500,000 passengers per day.

Nigeria LNG Train 7 project

The Nigeria LNG Train 7 project is an ongoing expansion of the Nigeria LNG Terminal at Bonny Island, Nigeria. The project, the cost is approximately US$ 6.5bn, will primarily add a seventh LNG processing unit to the Nigeria LNG Terminal at Bonny Island, with a production capacity of 4.2Mtpa and supporting infrastructure including an 84,200m³ storage tank, a 36,000m³ condensate tank, and three gas turbine generators at the terminal.

It will also include debottlenecking of the existing six trains that will increase the processing capacity by 3.4Mtpa, and the construction of wells and pipelines to supply additional feed gas to the LNG facility. Upon completion, the Nigeria LNG Train 7 project will increase the Nigeria LNG Terminal production capacity by 35% from the current 22 mtpa to 30 mtpa.

Mambilla Hydropower Project

Mambilla Hydropower Project is a 3.05GW hydroelectric facility that is set for development on the Dongo River near Baruf in Kakara Village of the Taraba State, Nigeria. The project entails the construction of four dams and two underground powerhouses with 12 turbine generator units in total.

With a planned generating capacity of 3,050 megawatts (4,090,000 hp), the Mambilla Hydropower Plant is expected to be the largest power-generating installation in Nigeria, and one of the largest hydroelectric power stations in the entire African continent.

Power generated by the facility will be transmitted to the national grid by four 500kV DC transmission lines. The total length of the transmission lines will be 700 kilometers or its thereabouts.

The construction of the Mambilla Hydropower Project started in August 2020. The project is being implemented by a consortium of Chinese companies led by China Gezhouba Group Corporation (CGGC). The estimated completion time is around 5-6 years.

Badagry Deep-Sea Port Project

This involves the construction of a new deep seaport with a total of three container berths, one dry bulk berth, and three liquid berths. It would be capable of handling up to 2.7 million TEUs on an annual basis, in the Badagry area of Lagos.

Upon completion, the Badagry Deep-Sea Port, which is being developed by a joint venture between Integrated Logistics Services (INTELS) and the Nigerian Port Authority (NPA), will be Africa’s largest.

It is also expected to be a huge milestone that will go a long way to bring global growth to the Nigerian waters, the country’s economy, and also complement the materialization of Lagos as the 5^th largest economy in the continent. The Badagry Deep-Sea Port project will also generate about 500,000 direct and indirect employment opportunities.

Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) gas pipeline project

Developed by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) gas pipeline project entails the construction of a 614km-long natural gas pipeline from the Ajaokuta terminal gas station (TGS) in the Kogi state in the southern region of Nigeria, through the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Niger, and Kaduna, to terminate at a gas station in Kano.

Upon completion, the AKK gas pipeline will provide a golden opportunity for the West African country to exploit its gas potential and utilize its gas resources to enable it to earn as much revenue from gas as it is earning from oil.

This will in turn enable the country to meet its nagging domestic gas utilization and eliminate its gas flaring, as well as meet global greenhouse gases/climate change policy requirements in the long run.

Lagos-Kano SGR project

The Lagos–Kano Standard Gauge Railway is a 1,343 kilometers long standard gauge railway under construction in Nigeria to replace the lower design capacity and deteriorated Cape gauge Western Line built by the British in 1896–1927, which has a lower design capacity and is in a deteriorated condition.

Once fully completed the railway will connect the Atlantic Ocean port city of Lagos to Kano, near the border with Niger, passing through the national capital of Abuja. Two segments of the Railway have already been completed and begun passenger trains.

The first segment between Abuja and Kaduna was officially opened in July 2016 while the second segment between Lagos and Ibadan was commissioned in June 2021.

Abidjan-Lagos Corridor Highway Development

The Abidjan-Lagos Road Corridor is a project that aims to build a six-lane supranational highway, with components to transform it into an economic development corridor to connect Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin, and Nigeria, thus facilitating cross-port links, free movement and the improvement of cross-border economic exchanges between the five ECOWAS Member States.

The project is reportedly a key element of the Second Priority Action Plan of the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA-PAP II), and it is also a priority under the new ECOWAS Vision 2050, which, among other objectives, aims to make ECOWAS a fully integrated and interconnected economic region.

Once completed, the corridor which is a component of the Dakar-Lagos Corridor and forms an important part of the Trans-African Highway Network, as well as a top priority of the 25-year ECOWAS Regional Infrastructure Development Master Plan, will boost trade (a catalyst for the AfCFTA), encourage investment in other economic sectors, and create job opportunities for citizens of member states.