Completed Mixed AidData Chinese Aid

China Eximbank provides $460.8 million preferential buyer's credit for Phase 1 of Abuja-Keffi-Akwanga-Lafia-Makurdi Road Reconstruction Project (Linked to Record ID#102678)

$460.82M USD

Funder	Export-Import Bank of China (China Eximbank)
Recipient Organization	Government of Nigeria
Country	Nigeria
Start Date	Aug 18, 2017
End Date	Jul 20, 2026
Duration	3,258 days
Number of Grantees	1
Roles	Recipient
Data Source	AidData Chinese Aid
Grant ID	`31098`

Grant Description

China Eximbank provides $460.8 million preferential buyer's credit for Phase 1 of Abuja-Keffi-Akwanga-Lafia-Makurdi Road Reconstruction Project On August 18, 2017, China Eximbank and the Government of Nigeria signed a $460,822,440.20 preferential buyer’s credit (PBC) agreement for Phase 1 of the Abuja-Keffi-Akwanga-Lafia-Makurdi Road Reconstruction Project.

📋 Loan / Grant Terms

📅 Maturity20 years

⏳ Grace Period7 years

💹 Interest Rate2.5%

The final maturity date of this loan is September 21, 2037.

The borrower was expected to use the proceeds of the loan to finance 85% of the cost of a $542 million commercial (EPC) contract between the Government of Nigeria's Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing and China Harbour Engineering Company Limited.

The borrower was also expected to use toll revenue generated by the the road reconstruction project to repay the China Eximbank loan.

As of December 31, 2020, Nigeria’s Debt Management Office (DMO) reported that the China Eximbank loan had achieved a 24.42% disbursement rate ($112.53 million) and the borrower had made interest repayments worth $2.88 million and no principal repayments to the lender. As such, the loan’s (principal) amount outstanding, as of December 31, 2020, was $112.53 million.

This project involved the expansion of the Abuja-Keffi Road and the dualization of Keffi-Akwanga-Lafia Makurdi Road.

The project consisted of two parts: the 5.4 km expansion of Abuja-Keffi expressway, linking Abuja to Nasarawa, and the reconstruction and dualization of the 221.8 km Keffi-Akwanga-Lafia-Makurdi expressway, linking Nasarawa to Benue.

The expansion of the Abuja-Keffi expressway was originally expected to last three years, during which a two-lane auxiliary road would be built on the existing six-lane section.

The Keffi-Akwanga-Lafia-Makurdi expressway was to be widened from the current two-lane road into a two-way, four-lane section. China Harbour Engineering Company Limited was the EPC contractor responsible for implementation. It hired a local Nigeria subcontractor called M/S Yarsono Partnership Ltd. A formal groundbreaking ceremony took place on November 22, 2018.

However, construction did not begin until April 1, 2019. The project was originally scheduled to reach completion within 36 months (April 1, 2022).

However, it encountered various obstacles and delays, which resulted in its expected completion date being pushed out to 2023. Phase 1 was ultimately completed in June 2023.

Then, in February 2025, the Government of Nigeria officially commenced toll operations on the Abuja-Keffi-Akwanga-Lafia-Makurdi Road.

The tolling operation is based upon a 25-year operate and maintain concession agreement that the Government of Nigeria and China Harbour Operations and Maintenance Company Limited in partnership with Messrs Catamaran Nigeria Limited signed in 2023.

According to Nigeria Federal Ministry of Works, as of February 2025, saloon cars were to be tolled at N500, SUVs and jeeps at N800, minibuses at N1,000, and multi-axle vehicles at N1,600. Frequent road users, such as commercial light vehicles, were to receive a 50% discount.

Tricycles, pedal vehicles, motorcycles, and other small transport modes used by disadvantaged populations were exempted from toll charges.

📋 Staff Comments

This project is also known as the 227 km Abuja-Keffi-Makurdi Road Rehabilitation and Upgrade Project and the Abuja-Keffi Road Expansion and Dualization of Keffi-Akwanga-Lafia Makurdi Road Project. The Chinese project title is 凯菲至马库尔迪公路改扩建工程项目.
In the database of Chinese loan commitments that SAIS-CARI released in July 2020, it does not record the grace period for this loan. AidData records the grace period (7-years) that is reported by Nigeria’s Debt Management Office (DMO) in its ‘Loans Obtained from China Exim As At December 31, 2020’ publication.
China Eximbank also provided a loan for Phase 2 of the Abuja-Keffi-Akwanga-Lafia-Makurdi Road Reconstruction Project (as captured via Record ID#102678).

📚 Sources & References

Speech by Zhou Pingjian
Ambassador of Nigeria, at the groundbreaking ceremony of the Kaifu-Makuldi Highway Reconstruction and Expansion Project
Remarks of Ambassador Zhou Pingjian of China to Nigeria at the Flag-off Ceremony of the Expansion and Dualization of the Abuja-Keffi-Lafia-Makurdi Road Project
驻尼日利亚大使周平剑出席凯菲至马库尔迪公路改扩建工程项目开工仪式
FG Pays Chinese Firm $12m to Expand Abuja-Lafia Road
Ambassador Zhou Pingjian attended the groundbreaking ceremony of the Kaifi-Makurdi Highway Reconstruction and Expansion Project
驻尼日利亚大使周平剑在凯菲至马库尔迪公路改扩建工程项目开工仪式的致辞
Nigeria's Actual External Debt Service Payments in Fourth Quarter, 2018 in Thousands of USD
进出口银行的非洲足迹—尼日利亚篇
Actual External Debt Service Payments
January to December, 2023
Loans Obtained From China Exim
December 31, 2020, 2017 Annual Report and Statement of Accounts
尼日利亚凯菲路项目举行开工典礼
FG
Chinese Firms Sign N300 Billion Agreement for Extension of Makurdi-Enugu
Other Roads
Major new highway links planned for Nigeria
FG
Chinese Firms Sign N300bn Agreement for Extension of Makurdi-Enugu
Other Roads
Federal Govt Pays Chinese Firm $12 Million To Expand Abuja-Lafia Road
Keffi Road, the new high road boosting Nigeria-China development
Congratulations丨The Kaifi Road Project in Nigeria officially started construction
Roundup: Flag-off ceremony held for China-assisted intercity road project in Nigeria
中交西筑公司设备再度批量出口尼日利亚
Chinese firm speeds up construction of major Nigerian road project
FASHOLA
ALIYU INSPECT THE EXPANSION OF 5.4KM ABUJA – KEFFI EXPRESSWAY AND DUALIZATION OF KEFFI – AKWANGA – LAFIA – MAKURDI ROAD PROJECT IN FCT
NASARAWA AND BENUE STATES
China
Nigeria Seal $5.57bn Loan Agreements under Eight Years
Nigeria’s Road Infrastructure Renewal and China Relations, $1.25bn for Abuja rail, $500m for NTA Buharis $22.7bn loan spending plan
中国港湾尼日利亚凯菲-马库尔迪公路改扩建工程贷款协议正式签署
Completion Of Keffi-Akwanga-Lafia Roads Excites Motorists
INVESTIGATION: Real reason construction of Abuja-Keffi-Makurdi highway is delayed
尼日利亚凯菲至马库尔公路项目通过交工验收
Abuja-Makurdi road tolling begins to repay $460m loan
中企承建的尼日利亚凯菲路助力当地发展
SAIS-CARI China's Debt Cancellation In Africa Database*
External Loans Signed but Partially Disbursed
December 31, 2019
Loans Obtained From China Exim
September 30, 2021
Loans Obtained From China Exim
March 31, 2020
Actual External Debt Service Payments
January - March, 2024
Actual External Debt Service Payments
January to December, 2022
Actual External Debt Service Payments
January to December, 2021
Actual External Debt Service Payments
January to December, 2020
Actual External Debt Service Payments
January to December, 2019 Loan applications and disbursements are still being received and processed as the projects continue to evolve. Ongoing monitoring and evaluation are in place to ensure project continuity.

All Grantees

Government of Nigeria

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