Nigeria is pushing through tough economic reforms that could reshape development across Africa, with a new African Development Bank report highlighting how the country’s bold changes are paying off, according to the bank latest announcement. The 2025 Country Focus Report shows how Nigeria scrapped fuel subsidies and fixed its currency problems despite the political risks. These moves are already working and showing other African nations what bold changes can accomplish.
Nigeria has huge potential but also massive problems. The country needs $100 billion just to fix its roads, power grid, and other basic infrastructure. It depends way too much on oil money and can’t create enough jobs for its young people. But the report documents how recent reforms are tackling these long-standing issues.
The numbers in the report show the reforms are working. Government revenues jumped from $10.9 billion in 2023 to $20.7 billion last year after officials cut subsidies and fixed tax collection. The African Development Bank put up $2.95 billion for major projects like a $15.6 billion highway connecting five West African countries and farm processing centers that should create 400,000 jobs.
What happens in Nigeria affects the whole region since it’s Africa’s biggest economy. The new coastal highway will handle three-quarters of West Africa’s trade and connect cities expected to house 173 million people by 2050. Farm programs have already helped two million farmers grow 15% more corn.
The report concludes that “when Nigeria succeeds, Africa benefits” because changes in Lagos influence business confidence across West Africa. With most Nigerians under 25, the country’s investments in young entrepreneurs could become a model for other African countries trying to create jobs and grow their economies.
