The All Progressives Congress (APC) has unveiled what it described as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s roadmap to achieving a $1 trillion Nigerian economy by 2030, with maritime corridors, rail expansion, energy projects, manufacturing and human capital development at the centre of the plan.
The roadmap was presented on Tuesday by APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, who represented President Tinubu as Special Guest of Honour at the second edition of the Asiwaju Scorecard Series/Asiwaju Policy Roundtable organised by the APC Professional Forum.
A press release on the event was signed by Abimbola Tooki, Special Adviser to the National Chairman on Media and Information Strategy.
Yilwatda said the $1 trillion target was not merely an economic figure but “a national development mission” aimed at building a Nigeria that produces more, exports more, attracts investment, creates jobs and gives young people a greater stake in the economy.
Reforms And Early Economic Results
Yilwatda said the Tinubu administration inherited an economy affected by fuel subsidy payments, multiple foreign exchange windows, weak revenue mobilisation and years of underinvestment in infrastructure.
He said the decisions to remove the fuel subsidy and unify the foreign exchange market were difficult but necessary steps toward stabilising the economy.
“These figures do not mean that our economic challenges have disappeared, but they demonstrate that the direction of travel has changed,” he said.
Yilwatda cited several economic indicators, including external reserves of about $52.7 billion as of August 2026, an increase in non-oil revenue from N13.63 trillion in 2023 to N16.4 trillion in the first two quarters of 2026, real GDP growth of 4.43 per cent in the second quarter of 2026 and a decline in inflation to about 15.4 per cent from its earlier peak.
Five Ports, Three Corridors
According to Yilwatda, the infrastructure backbone of the roadmap is an integrated transport and trade network designed to connect Nigeria’s production centres to domestic and international markets.
He proposed a five-port maritime and logistics corridor linking Lagos, Ondo, Ibom, Port Harcourt and Calabar through modern rail and road networks.
The plan includes the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Super Highway as the coastal spine, alongside two major inland corridors.
The Western Corridor would link Lagos, Abuja, Kaduna and Kano through rail, alongside the Sokoto-Badagry Super Highway to open trade routes towards the Northwest and the Sahel.
The Eastern Corridor would connect Port Harcourt, Abuja, Kaduna and Kano by rail, while the proposed Calabar-Maiduguri Trans-Sahara Super Highway would link eastern ports with Nigeria’s interior.
“This is how Nigeria can move beyond being simply a coastal trading nation to becoming the maritime gateway and logistics hub of West and Central Africa,” Yilwatda said.
He said the corridors would generate opportunities in logistics, warehousing, manufacturing, agro-processing, banking and insurance.
Yilwatda also advocated stronger rail connectivity to Maradi and the wider Sahel, arguing that improved links could attract customs, banking and manufacturing activities to Nigeria while expanding market access for Nigerian exporters to Niger, Chad, Burkina Faso and other countries in the region.
Gas, Skills And Healthcare
The APC chairman said the infrastructure programme must be supported by reliable energy.
He identified the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano gas pipeline as critical to powering industries, fertiliser plants and electricity generation in Northern Nigeria.
On human capital development, Yilwatda highlighted initiatives including the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), digital skills programmes and SME credit schemes, describing them as “investments in productive capacity, not welfare.”
“Even if you don’t like President Tinubu, your children can access the fund and access higher education,” he said.
He also cited investments in cancer treatment centres, maternal healthcare and the solid minerals sector as part of efforts to diversify the economy and promote local processing.
APC Defends Subsidy Removal
Chairman of the APC Professional Forum, Alhaji Isa Yuguda, defended the removal of the fuel subsidy, saying the policy had expanded fiscal space for both state and federal governments.
He warned political actors against promising a return to the previous subsidy regime ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“Political parties and candidates must be judged by the sustainability and credibility of their economic proposals rather than by promises that could reverse difficult but necessary reforms,” Yuguda said.
Yilwatda said achieving macroeconomic stability was only the foundation of the administration’s economic agenda.
He said the ultimate measure of success would be whether economic stability translates into lower food prices, more jobs, affordable credit, reliable electricity and greater purchasing power for Nigerians.
“The ultimate test is when stability translates into cheaper food, more jobs, affordable credit, reliable electricity and greater purchasing power for Nigerians,” he said.
