Nigeria sitting on up to $1.5 trillion in Idle, stranded and underutilised capital — PeacePro

Nigeria is sitting on between $1 trillion and $1.5 trillion in stranded, abandoned, and underutilised capital across public and private sectors, according to the Foundation for Peace Professionals (PeacePro), which describes the figure as one of the largest pools of dormant economic values in Africa.

PeacePro said research reviewed by the group indicated that as much as $900 billion might be tied up as dead capital in residential real estate and agricultural land.

It also cited estimates of tens of thousands of abandoned buildings owned by federal, state, and local governments valued at approximately ₦9.5 trillion.

Industry assessments further suggested that more than 56,000 abandoned projects across sectors, including roads, public buildings, and housing estates were collectively valued at ₦12–17 trillion, in addition to billions of naira invested in abandoned or uncompleted power infrastructure projects.

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In a statement issued over the weekend, PeacePro Executive Director Abdulrazaq Hamzat described the situation as a “silent economic emergency,” arguing that Nigeria’s growth challenges stemmed less from resource scarcity and more from failure to activate existing assets.

According to PeacePro’s analysis, the estimated $1.5 trillion in stranded capital spans key sectors, including: Energy infrastructure, Transportation assets, Housing and real estate,
Industrial and manufacturing facilities, closed factories and moribund industrial clusters; Public infrastructure projects stalled due to funding gaps or policy shifts.

Hamzat noted that the upper estimate is more than five times Nigeria’s nominal GDP of approximately $285 billion, underscoring the scale of unused economic capacity.

“Nigeria is not a poor country. Nigeria is a poorly activated economy,” he said. “The issue is not absence of capital, but immobilized capital.”

PeacePro said that unlocking even 30–40 percent of dormant assets could generate economic output equivalent to multiple years of current GDP, create millions of direct and indirect jobs, reduce borrowing dependence, strengthen local production capacity, improve energy supply and industrial output, and stabilize fragile communities through economic inclusion.

Hamzat explained that Nigeria’s installed power generation capacity exceeds what is reliably transmitted, leaving billions of dollars in generation investments underutilized. Thousands of kilometers of roads remain partially completed, reducing trade efficiency and increasing transport costs, while large scale housing projects remain unoccupied due to weak mortgage systems and land documentation bottlenecks.

“These are not hypothetical losses; they are capital already paid for but not producing value,” Hamzat said.

PeacePro identified structural and governance weaknesses as primary drivers of dead capital accumulation, including politicization of infrastructure investment, poor feasibility and demand forecasting, weak land administration systems, regulatory bottlenecks, project abandonment after leadership transitions, weak legislative oversight, poor maintenance culture, and fragmented coordination between federal and state institutions.

Hamzat warned that abandoned projects erode public trust, increase fiscal waste, and deepen inequality.

PeacePro stressed that unlocking stranded capital is not only an economic reform agenda but also a national stability strategy, noting that idle infrastructure contributes to youth unemployment, rural–urban migration pressures, crime and insecurity, community resentment, and investor hesitation.

“When infrastructure stands idle, frustration grows. When assets generate value, stability increases,” Hamzat said.

PeacePro called for an urgent national strategy anchored on a comprehensive audit of dormant and underperforming assets, conversion of abandoned projects into public–private partnerships, creation of a transparent asset registry and valuation system, land reform and digital documentation, infrastructure completion prioritization based on economic return, legislative safeguards against politically motivated project abandonment, and dedicated maintenance funding frameworks.

“Nigeria does not need to borrow its way to prosperity while trillions in value lie unused,” Hamzat said.

“The stranded and underutilized assets across the country are not merely losses; they are the foundation for inclusive growth, institutional strength, and sustainable peace. The question is whether we have the political discipline to activate them.”

PeacePro concluded that unlocking stranded capital should become a national economic priority, describing it as one of the fastest pathways to restoring Nigeria’s growth momentum and strengthening its global competitiveness.