By David Lawani, Abuja
President Bola Tinubu’s administration is banking on an ambitious expansion of roads, railways, ports and other critical infrastructure to propel Nigeria towards a $1 trillion economy by 2030, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, has said.
Yilwatda said the administration’s economic vision goes beyond stabilising key macroeconomic indicators, stressing that the next phase of the Renewed Hope Agenda would focus on building infrastructure capable of unlocking industrial production, trade, exports and jobs across the country.
The APC chairman spoke on Tuesday in Abuja while representing President Tinubu at the second edition of the Asiwaju Scorecard Series/Asiwaju Policy Roundtable.
He said Nigeria’s path to becoming a $1 trillion economy would depend significantly on its ability to connect production centres to domestic and international markets through an integrated network of highways, rail corridors, deep-sea ports and logistics hubs.
According to him, the infrastructure drive is designed to reposition Nigeria from being largely a consumer and coastal trading economy to a major industrial, maritime and logistics hub for West and Central Africa.
“The ambition of a $1 trillion economy is not merely about a number. It is about building a productive economy that can create jobs, attract investment, increase exports and expand opportunities for Nigerians,” Yilwatda said.
*Integrated transport corridors projected to spur industrial growth
Central to the plan, Yilwatda said, is the development of an integrated five-port maritime and logistics corridor linking major deep-sea ports in Lagos, Ondo, Ibom, Port Harcourt and Calabar with modern road and rail infrastructure.
He said the proposed network would connect Nigeria’s maritime gateways with major cities, industrial clusters, agricultural belts and production centres, while also opening access to landlocked markets in West and Central Africa.
Yilwatda identified the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Super Highway as a major component of the proposed coastal transport spine.
He added that the Western Corridor would link Nigeria’s maritime gateways to the hinterland through the Lagos-Abuja-Kaduna-Kano rail corridor and the proposed Sokoto-Badagry Super Highway.
Similarly, the Eastern Corridor is expected to connect eastern maritime gateways through the Port Harcourt-Abuja-Kaduna-Kano rail route and the proposed Calabar-Maiduguri Trans-Sahara Super Highway.
According to him, the integration of roads, railways and ports could create an extensive economic ecosystem around transportation infrastructure.
He said opportunities would emerge in logistics, warehousing, freight forwarding, banking, insurance, manufacturing, distribution and agro-processing.
Yilwatda said infrastructure development must no longer be treated as an isolated government project but deliberately linked to industrial and productive activities.
“Where rail reaches an agricultural region, processing industries should follow. Where it reaches mineral resources, processing and manufacturing should follow. Where dry ports are established, logistics and distribution businesses should develop around them,” he said.
He said the administration was also looking towards the development of industrial parks, export-processing zones, agro-processing clusters and manufacturing centres along major transport corridors.
The APC chairman argued that such deliberate planning would enable Nigeria to derive greater economic value from infrastructure investments rather than merely constructing roads and rail lines without corresponding productive activities.
He said the strategy could help farmers gain access to larger markets, reduce post-harvest losses and encourage private investment in food processing and storage.
Similarly, he said communities with significant mineral resources could attract industries for local processing instead of depending largely on the export of raw materials.
*APC chairman says reforms provide foundation for expansion
Yilwatda said the infrastructure-led growth strategy was being built on economic reforms undertaken by the Tinubu administration since assuming office in May 2023.
He said the President inherited an economy burdened by fuel subsidy distortions, multiple foreign exchange windows, weak revenue mobilisation, foreign exchange shortages, rising debt-service pressures and years of inadequate infrastructure investment.
According to him, the administration consequently took difficult decisions, including the removal of fuel subsidy and reforms of the foreign exchange market, to stabilise the economy.
Yilwatda said available indicators showed that the reforms were beginning to provide a stronger foundation for long-term growth.
He cited gross external reserves of about $52.7 billion as of August 2026 and increased non-oil revenue, which he said rose from approximately ₦13.63 trillion in 2023 to ₦16.4 trillion in the first two quarters of 2026.
He also pointed to an improvement in Nigeria’s trade position, saying the country’s merchandise trade surplus increased from about ₦44.8 billion for the entire 2023 to approximately ₦7.54 trillion in the first quarter of 2026.
The APC chairman further said real Gross Domestic Product grew by 4.43 per cent in the second quarter of 2026, while inflation had declined to about 15.4 per cent.
However, he acknowledged that improved economic statistics did not automatically translate into relief for millions of Nigerians facing high living costs.
“Macroeconomic stability is not the destination; it is the foundation,” Yilwatda said.
He added: “A good GDP number does not automatically put food on a family’s table. Stronger reserves do not pay school fees. A stronger stock market does not automatically put money into the pocket of a market woman.”
Yilwatda said the ultimate measure of the reforms would be their ability to deliver cheaper food, quality jobs, affordable credit, reliable electricity and improved purchasing power.
He said the administration was therefore moving towards what he described as the next phase of economic transformation, where stability would be converted into production and prosperity.
“The journey is from economic uncertainty to stability, from growth stability, and from growth to prosperity,” he said.
Beyond roads, railways and ports, Yilwatda identified energy as another critical component of the administration’s industrialisation agenda.
He described the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano gas pipeline as strategically important, saying it could connect gas resources to population and industrial centres in northern Nigeria and support electricity generation, fertiliser production and manufacturing.
He also highlighted investments in human capital through the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, technical and vocational education programmes, digital skills initiatives and consumer credit schemes.
According to him, Nigeria’s youthful population must be equipped with the skills and opportunities required to drive the productive economy envisioned under the $1 trillion target.
Yilwatda said the administration’s maritime ambition also extended beyond conventional port operations to shipping, ship repair, marine services, maritime finance, fisheries, aquaculture, offshore energy and marine technology.
He said Nigeria must begin to view itself not merely as Africa’s largest domestic market but as a potential industrial, maritime, digital and logistics powerhouse.
“For the All Progressives Congress, the answer is clear. We choose progress, productivity, investment, infrastructure, innovation, Nigerian enterprise, exports and human capital,” he said.
Yilwatda added that achieving the $1 trillion target would require collaboration among governments, businesses, farmers, workers, students, entrepreneurs, professionals and investors.
“The foundation has been laid. The opportunity is before us. The work has begun,” he said. Now we must take Nigeria from reform to results, from results to growth, from growth to prosperity, and from prosperity to a $1 trillion economy by 2030.”
