WORLD BANK
The World Bank Group is helping to mobilise up to $5.79 billion in private financing to accelerate Nigeria’s economic transformation, expand critical infrastructure, and drive job creation across key sectors of the economy.
The Bretton Woods institution disclosed the development in a report published on Sunday, titled “Unlocking $5.79 Billion in Private Financing.”
The report details how coordinated public-sector policy reforms and targeted private investments are being leveraged to tackle Nigeria’s structural development challenges.
According to the Bank, the initiative combines policy reforms, investment platforms, commercial financing, and risk-mitigation instruments to channel capital into high-impact areas including digital infrastructure, micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and agribusiness.
The Bank highlighted that macroeconomic and public-finance reforms implemented in Nigeria since mid-2023 have created more predictable conditions for investors.
Crucial to this effort are the International Finance Corporation (IFC), which supports investment structuring and commercial financing, and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), which provides risk-reduction guarantees.
The institution clarified that the $5.79 billion figure represents financing already mobilised alongside projected investments, rather than a newly approved loan or grant.
Key Pillars of the $5.79 Billion Financing Mobilisation
| Sector / Program | Target Investment | Major Highlights & Targets |
| FINCLUDE (MSMEs) | $1.89 Billion |
• Targets over 250,000 MSMEs in employment-intensive sectors. • Projected to support nearly 850,000 direct and indirect jobs. • Backed by a $500 million combined IBRD/IDA financing package. |
| BRIDGE Project (Telecommunications) | Up to $1.1 Billion |
• Initial investor selection to raise at least $156 million in private equity. • Aims to expand broadband access to 58 million additional Nigerians by 2030 (reaching 150 million total coverage). • Connects 38,800 public schools, 16,900 health facilities, and 3,400 local government offices. |
| IHS Towers Bond | $1.2 Billion | • IFC-backed bond transaction that successfully attracted over $1.1 billion from private investors into telecommunications infrastructure. |
| Agribusiness & Fertiliser | $1.5 Billion+ |
• Agri-Value Chains: Aims to attract $220m from agribusinesses and $22m from seed producers to support 1 million smallholders. • Fertiliser Financing: IFC helped mobilise $1.02bn for Dangote Industries and $282.5m for Indorama to boost domestic supply for over 10 million farmers. |
Driving Sustainable Growth
The World Bank emphasized that coordinated investments across telecom connectivity, agricultural productivity, and business financing will strengthen systemic productivity and support private-sector-led economic growth.
The institution noted that the ultimate benchmark for the success of these financing arrangements will be measured by tangible outcomes on the ground, specifically improvements in employment, expanded infrastructure, increased agricultural yields, and broader economic opportunities for Nigerians.
