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| Tinubu oversees new roads and health centres |
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu told Nigerians his administration was “doing our best” on infrastructure, education and health. He made the remark at a state event where he commissioned road and related projects.
The president said the projects aim to boost transport links and local access to services. State documents list multiple road and ancillary works in the Federal Capital Territory and other states.
Mr. Tinubu’s office also pointed to recent health initiatives. Officials say more than 1,000 primary health centres have seen work, and 5,500 PHCs are slated for upgrades under a named health agenda. The statement lists free surgeries and new cancer centres as parts of the plan.
Lawmakers recently approved major external borrowing to fund projects, including infrastructure and social services. The Senate cleared a $21 billion package that lists funds for transport, healthcare, education and housing. The plan awaits final approval by the lower chamber.
Finance ministry documents accompanying the borrowing request break down items. They include euro and yen loans, a mix of grants and domestic borrowing, and a $3 billion allocation for an eastern rail redevelopment. The package names transport corridors as a priority.
At the commissioning event, the president described the work as part of a wider push to change the nation’s infrastructure story. The state press office published photographs and lists of the works said to be complete or in progress.
The Renewed Hope Health Agenda, announced by the presidency in past briefings, lists targets. The plan includes establishing oncology and diagnostic centres, retraining tens of thousands of health workers, and subsidised dialysis and maternal care. Officials say three cancer centres were already ready when the announcement was made.
Government statements say the health investments include free cesarean operations under a presidential initiative. The documents report more than 4,000 women received free caesarean sections during the programme’s early phases.
On education, the presidency and ministries cited project lists and funding lines. Officials say they are fast-tracking approvals for school renovation and support for learning infrastructure. Specific spending figures were included in budget papers tied to the wider borrowing plan.
Project finance and macroeconomic reforms have drawn mixed public response. Reuters reported that major reforms since 2023 include subsidy removal and foreign-exchange adjustments. Those moves are part of the economic context for the borrowing request and infrastructure push.
Security and operational risks to projects are also part of the public record. A Financial Times report described recent attacks and explosions affecting oil infrastructure in the Niger Delta. The incidents prompted emergency measures and state interventions in affected states, which can affect project delivery and oil revenues. The events have fed debate about funding and project timelines.
The state press office released figures for specific local works. They listed the dualisation of roads and ancillary roads in Bwari, FCT, and cited rail and light-rail funding talks for northern states. The documents say those projects aim to improve movement of goods and people.
On international cooperation, the presidency has announced negotiations and agreements. Recent diplomatic contacts included talks with foreign energy firms and bilateral trade pacts. Officials say those moves support investment in transport and energy projects. Reuters covered discussions about potential returns by foreign oil firms and broader bilateral deals.
Budget and debt experts have flagged the size of the borrowing plan in public filings. The approved Senate motion covers multiple loans and currency lines. Parliament documents show the mix of loans will include euro, yen, and other instruments, plus domestic borrowing. The stated aim is to cover funding gaps in the 2025 national budget.
The presidency published statistics on health worker training under its initiatives. The plan included retraining 120,000 health workers and establishing ten oncology and diagnostic facilities. That release listed timelines and pilot sites for some services.
Officials provided data on the scope of planned road works. They said parts of the eastern corridor rail would be redeveloped, covering about 2,044 kilometres on narrow-gauge lines. This figure was given as part of the borrowing allocations.
The president’s remarks followed a string of briefings and speeches over the past year. State media and the presidential social feeds have posted multiple project updates and photo releases documenting ceremonies and handovers. Those materials form the public record for the administration’s progress claims.
Opposition figures and civil society groups have called for more transparency on project timelines and spending. Reports and commentary in national and international outlets have urged clearer audit trails for large contracts and loan disbursements. The Financial Times and Reuters coverage recorded public debate around project funding and governance.
The Senate vote to approve the borrowing plan passed after debate on scale and priorities. Senators voted to grant authority for the external borrowing mix, citing infrastructure and social programmes as the main uses. The lower house is set to review the plan next.
State releases list timelines for some projects, but many works still show stages of planning or early construction. The presidency’s project lists show completed sections, ongoing works and proposals at differing phases across states. Photographs released during commissionings show both finished and near-finished works.
The government’s health targets were framed as part of a “repositioning” of the sector. Officials named pilot hospitals, dialysis services and maternal health drives as initial deliverables. They highlighted partnerships with local hospitals and planned training programmes.
The borrowing plan documents also assign funds to housing and security projects. The finance ministry paper lists multiple sectors to be supported by the external loans and domestic borrowing. The total package aimed to close revenue gaps in the 2025 budget while financing capital projects.
The presidency emailed summaries of the commissioned works to state and national media. Those summaries included the president’s words praising project teams and urging continued work. The official communications framed the projects as part of a broader development push.
Public dashboards and parliamentary papers will track some loan disbursements and project progress, officials said. The finance ministry and relevant agencies have been asked by legislators to provide periodic updates on loan use and procurement status. These requests appear in public records related to the borrowing approval.
We are doing our best in infrastructure, we’re doing our best in education, and we’re doing a very good job in the health sector of our country.
— Nigeria Stories (@NigeriaStories) September 4, 2025
~ President Bola Tinubu says
pic.twitter.com/Dzkej42Aze
For now, the presidency’s project lists and parliamentary approvals form the main public sources for the claim that the government is “doing our best” on infrastructure, education and healthcare. The documents detail projects, funding plans and service targets across sectors.