The Federal Government is seeking a fresh $500 million loan from the World Bank to establish an infrastructure financing platform, with the proposed approval scheduled for May 25, 2027, just four days before the inauguration of Nigeria next president.

The proposed borrowing comes as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 general elections, raising questions about the timing of fresh financial commitments and their implications for the incoming administration.

According to the World Bank Initial Project Information Document, obtained by The Punch on Sunday, the facility forms part of a broader 3.85 billion dollar infrastructure financing initiative designed to attract private investment into critical sectors of the Nigerian economy.

The document, prepared and updated on November 4, 2026, identifies the initiative as the Nigeria Infrastructure Financing and De Risking Platform for Growth and Jobs, otherwise known as INFRAGROW.

The Federal Ministry of Finance is listed as the borrower, while the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority will serve as the implementing agency. The bank has scheduled the project technical design review for January 21, 2027, while its estimated approval date is May 25, 2027. Nigeria presidential inauguration is constitutionally scheduled for May 29, 2027, following the expiration of the current four year presidential term.

The proposed financing has not yet been approved, and the World Bank published timetable remains subject to change. Approval would also not automatically mean that the entire amount would be immediately disbursed or that the platform would begin full operations before the end of the current administration. Officials say the timeline is part of the normal project preparation process.

The document puts the country annual infrastructure financing shortfall at approximately 100 billion dollars, identifying inadequate investment and weak project preparation as major obstacles to economic growth. The proposed 500 million dollar World Bank financing comprises 400 million dollars from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development and 100 million dollars from the International Development Association.

The World Bank said the proposed Nigeria INFRAGROW project is an institution building and private capital mobilisation operation intended to expand sustainable infrastructure in Nigeria. The platform is expected to support projects in energy, transport and water, and to help reduce the risks that often prevent private investors from funding large infrastructure projects.

The bank has also classified the proposed project environmental and social risks as high, particularly because the financing platform could support major infrastructure developments. Possible concerns cited include land acquisition, community displacement and environmental damage associated with infrastructure development. Observers say the incoming administration will have to decide how to manage the platform if approval is granted before the handover.