Public funds alone can’t fix infrastructure gap – AltBank

The Alternative Bank has warned that Nigeria's infrastructure deficit cannot be resolved solely through public funding, urging a significant increase in private-sector investment. The bank highlighted that government budgets are stretched across various sectors, including security, healthcare, education, debt servicing and social spending, making it crucial to mobilize more long-term private capital for projects in power, transport, digital connectivity and other areas.

In a statement at the Nigeria Infrastructure Conference (INFRACON 2026) in Abuja, Jacob Achem, Branch Manager of The Alternative Bank's Dei-Dei Branch, emphasized that public funding alone is insufficient to close the infrastructure gap. The bank argued that attracting private capital requires developing financing structures and partnerships that provide confidence to long-term investors.

Achem also pointed out that non-interest finance could play a significant role in infrastructure development by linking investment to real assets and measurable outcomes, offering an alternative funding mechanism to bolster capital deployment. The conference, organized by the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, aimed to explore strategies for mobilizing private capital for sustainable infrastructure development in Nigeria.