Top 5 Ambitious African Infrastructure Projects Stalled or Abandoned in the Last 10 Years

In Summary

• Several projects remained abandoned for years, leaving cities and industrial zones with incomplete infrastructure and wasted resources.
• Projects included a $1.5 billion steel mill in Nigeria and a $500 million monorail in Rivers State, all officially abandoned.
• Government audits and parliamentary reports confirm these initiatives were halted, highlighting oversight, planning, and execution challenges.
• Systemic causes such as governance gaps, weak oversight, and procurement failures cut across all projects.

Deep Dive!!

Lagos, Nigeria, Friday, November 21- Africa’s ambition in infrastructure has long driven its economic development strategy. Governments have launched projects in several sectors like urban transport networks and industrial plants aiming to boost growth, create jobs, and improve connectivity. Yet, despite significant investments, not all initiatives reach completion.

This article examines five major infrastructure projects officially documented as abandoned undertakings. Our goal is not to sensationalise these setbacks but to provide a clear, fact-based account of what went wrong and the lessons they offer for future planning.

A “Stalled or abandoned” project, for this ranking, is strictly defined as a large-scale initiative that received significant funding, aimed to deliver tangible economic or social benefits, and has been acknowledged as incomplete, abandoned, or unlikely to be completed so far. 

Projects that are merely delayed, underperforming, or partially operational do not qualify ensuring the focus remains on truly ambitious initiatives whose cessation represents both financial loss and missed developmental opportunity.

These five were selected because they combine heavy investment, official documentation, and long-term stagnation

The projects span transport, urban mobility, energy, and industrial development across multiple African regions. By examining each in detail, we highlight systemic challenges in planning, execution, and oversight, while offering insights into governance, policy, and operational lessons critical to Africa’s infrastructure growth. 

The following ranking details each project’s objectives, investments, failure reasons, and current status, providing a comprehensive understanding of why these initiatives could not meet their intended goals.

5. Ikere Gorge Dam, Nigeria

Ikere Gorge Dam, located in Oyo State, Nigeria, was conceived as a multi-purpose infrastructure project to deliver hydropower, irrigation, and water supply. Initiated in the early 1980s, the dam had an estimated construction cost of ₦1.1 billion at the time (roughly $10 million in 1982 values), with civil works largely completed by 1982.

The reservoir holds approximately 565 million cubic meters of water, intended to support irrigation for 12,000 hectares of farmland and supply 82 million cubic meters of raw water annually to Lagos via the Iju Water Works. The hydropower component was designed to house two 3 MW Francis turbines, generating an estimated 34.8 million kWh annually.

Despite significant civil investment, these turbines were never installed, leaving the dam non-functional for power generation. Transmission infrastructure, including a 33 km 33 kV line, was planned but never completed, illustrating the extent of unrealised ambitions.

Institutionally, the dam is managed by the Ogun-Osun River Basin Development Authority (ORBDA), which oversees civil construction, water management, and community engagement. Policy documents from the Ministry of Water Resources and the ORBDA confirm that the dam was meant to integrate power generation, irrigation, and water supply into regional development frameworks.

Yet, mechanical and electromechanical components were never commissioned due to procurement delays, cost overruns, and shifts in government priorities. Local communities had been promised irrigation access and agricultural support, but official reports indicate that these benefits never materialized, leaving farmland underutilised and economic potential untapped. The failure to operationalise key components reflects both technical challenges and institutional shortcomings.

Recent policy efforts aim to revive the dam. In 2025, the Nigerian Federal Executive Council approved a 30-year public-private partnership with Quaint Power and Infrastructure Nigeria Ltd to rehabilitate and upgrade the dam’s hydropower plant. The proposed upgrade would increase capacity to 20 MW, supported by a new 132/33 kV substation to connect to the national grid.

This initiative underscores the dam’s strategic value while highlighting the extensive rehabilitation needed in the original turbines and electromechanical installations that have deteriorated after decades of abandonment. The PPP arrangement also includes integrating the dam’s water management function for irrigation and fisheries, demonstrating that the dam’s potential is still being leveraged despite its prolonged dormancy.

The socio-economic impact of the dam’s stagnation has been significant. Beyond electricity generation, the surrounding communities were denied anticipated benefits in irrigation, agriculture, and small-scale fisheries. Revitalisation plans now include structured water allocation for 12,000 hectares of farmland, fisheries development, and renewed irrigation for local communities, aiming to convert idle infrastructure into productive economic assets.

Ikere Gorge Dam exemplifies how African infrastructure projects with substantial civil investment can stall due to technical, operational, and institutional neglect, yet also demonstrates the opportunity for recovery through policy intervention, private-sector engagement, and structured planning. Its trajectory highlights the critical need for sustained oversight, integrated project management, and data-driven approaches to ensure that ambitious projects fulfil their intended development objectives.

4. Calabar Monorail, Nigeria

The Calabar Monorail was launched as a flagship urban transit system to connect key economic, administrative, and tourist hubs in Cross River State. Phase 1 of the project covered a 1.1 km route linking Tinapa to the Calabar International Conference Centre (CICC), while Phase 2 aimed to extend the line to Calabar Airport, adding approximately 12–13.8 km. The project was intended to serve both residents and tourists, providing a modern transport alternative to reduce congestion and showcase urban mobility development in southern Nigeria.

The system was designed using Intamin’s P-model monorail technology, with trains capable of carrying around 88 passengers per trip. Technical partners, including the original supplier and local contractors, oversaw construction, installation, and testing. Test runs commenced in December 2015, and the system briefly offered public rides during the 2016 Calabar Carnival. However, operational revenue was minimal, reportedly averaging about ₦83,000 per year, highlighting the challenges of sustaining the project without adequate ridership or private-sector support.

Funding for the Calabar Monorail came from a combination of state government allocations and partial support from the African EXIM Bank and GTB. Initial cost estimates for Phase 1 ranged between ₦5–7 billion (approximately US$25–36 million).

Despite the substantial investment, key milestones such as completion of the airport extension were never realized, leaving the line partially built and underutilized. Maintenance costs and operational logistics were not matched by revenue generation, creating a system that ran largely empty daily.

The failure of the project is well documented in official reports and local media accounts. Low ridership, limited route coverage, and the absence of a viable public-private partnership contributed to the stalled operations. Attempts to attract private investors did not materialize, and subsequent administrations highlighted governance, planning, and sustainability challenges as reasons for the system’s underperformance.

Today, the monorail stands as a cautionary example of ambitious infrastructure initiatives that lacked comprehensive planning, financial sustainability, and operational integration, reflecting broader lessons on urban transport development in Nigeria.

3. Ajaokuta Steel Mill, Nigeria

The Ajaokuta Steel Mill was one of Nigeria’s most ambitious industrial infrastructure projects. Conceived in the 1970s to drive heavy manufacturing and reduce dependence on steel imports, the steel complex was to house blast furnaces, rolling mills, and other steel processing units.

Over decades, it has become emblematic of Nigeria’s difficulties in industrial execution, despite enormous investment and repeated injections of funds, the plant has never operated at full capacity. The mill was originally planned to produce up to 1.3 million tonnes of steel per year, positioning it as a cornerstone of Nigeria’s industrialisation strategy.

Financially, the project has absorbed billions of U.S. dollars over more than four decades. While precise, up-to-date public accounting for the most recent 10 years is limited, many reports note persistent funding struggles, concessions, and restructuring attempts. In the 2000s and 2010s, the Nigerian government sought private-sector revival through concessioning parts of the plant. Several deals were announced, yet the full-scale operationalisation never materialised.

According to various media, the government has spent over $2 billion cumulatively on the mill (through direct funding, bailouts, and recapitalisation), though these numbers are often broad estimates derived from government statements, audit commentary, and investigative reporting.

From a policy and governance perspective, the mill’s failure is tied to a combination of mismanagement, contract disputes, and lack of technical follow-through. Part of the problem stems from shifting governments and policy priorities in a way that successive administrations failed to maintain consistent oversight, leaving many critical parts of the plant idle.

For example, critical infrastructure like blast furnaces and rolling mills were either never completed or were installed but not commissioned due to a lack of funds for auxiliary facilities (power, raw material supply, maintenance). Investigative reports and parliamentary discussions also point to poor public-private partnership (PPP) structuring concession agreements were made, but investors often pulled back when they discovered the scale of rehabilitation required and the uncertainties around raw material (especially iron ore) sourcing.

In recent years, attempts to revive the mill have continued, but with limited success. As of the mid-2020s, government statements still emphasise its potential importance for backward and forward industrial linkage particularly in steel-intensive construction and manufacturing sectors. However, without a clear, fully funded, and well-monitored plan, Ajaokuta remains largely dormant in terms of full-scale steel production.

Its status today show how grand industrial infrastructure can falter long-term when governance, financing, and technical systems are not anchored in sustainable, realistic execution plans.

2. Rivers State Monorail, Nigeria

The Rivers State Monorail was conceived as a transformative urban transport system for Port Harcourt, aiming to ease traffic congestion and connect key commercial and residential hubs. The project was launched under Governor Rotimi Amaechi’s administration, covering a proposed 5.4 km route. Phase 1A was to run from Sharks Park to UTC Junction, while Phase 1B extended to Isaac Boro, Garrison, and Waterlines.

The system was designed to use Intamin People Mover P30 monorail trains, and one unit was reportedly delivered. Despite this progress, the monorail never became operational, leaving the infrastructure incomplete and the technology unused.

Financially, the project became a source of major controversy. Official records indicate that the Rivers State government released N11 billion as part of its equity share, while technical partners later claimed that N33.9 billion had been expended on Phase 1A alone. Various media and government reports estimate the total expenditure at approximately US$400 million, though these figures were disputed between successive administrations.

A lack of transparency, differing accounting methods, and contested claims by technical partners compounded public uncertainty about how funds were allocated and spent.

The failure of the monorail is attributed to multiple documented factors. In 2015, ARCUS GIBBS Nigeria Ltd the technical partner informed a state commission of inquiry that the project was “no longer tenable” after receiving N22.9 billion, citing insufficient funding to continue under the 80/20 equity arrangement with TSI Nig Ltd, which was never fully honoured.

Corruption, mismanagement, and political discontinuity exacerbated the problem. The project’s managing director admitted that a planned media “unveiling” in 2015 was misleading, as the system was not technically ready. When Governor Wike assumed office in 2016, he publicly labeled the monorail a “wasteful” endeavour, asserting that it had already cost the state over $400 million with little to show in terms of functional infrastructure.

Today, the Rivers State Monorail stands as a stark symbol of both technical and governance failure. The incomplete pillars between UTC Road and the Station bus stop remain highly visible, and in 2024, Governor Fubara stated that work would not resume unless a “serious private‑sector investor” engaged under a clearly defined public-private partnership. Beyond engineering challenges, the project exposes systemic issues in governance, financing, and political continuity.

What was intended as a modern, efficient transport solution has instead become a cautionary tale illustrating how large-scale urban infrastructure projects in Africa can falter when policy, funding, and oversight are misaligned.

1. Mombasa Gate Bridge, Kenya

The Mombasa Gate Bridge was conceived as a major cable-stayed bridge to connect Mombasa Island to the Kenyan mainland, intended to replace ferry services and ease chronic traffic congestion. Its strategic importance was immense: Mombasa is East Africa’s largest port, and the bridge was meant to streamline cargo and commuter movement, supporting both local livelihoods and regional trade. Completion of the bridge would have positioned Mombasa as a more efficient logistics hub, potentially boosting Kenya’s export and trade capacity.

Financially, the project highlights one of the clearest cases of failure in African infrastructure. The feasibility study estimated costs at KSh 82 billion, with KSh 49.05 billion allocated by 2022. However, official records from the Auditor-General show that only KSh 938.2 million less than 2% of the allocated funds had been disbursed or used effectively.

The report further noted that undrawn loans continued accruing commitment fees, meaning the project was not only stalled but also generating additional financial burdens without any tangible results. This extreme underutilisation of public funds sets it apart from other stalled projects across the continent.

The Auditor-General’s 2022 report provides detailed reasoning for the failure. The project suffered from poor governance, weak oversight, and a lack of coordination among ministries and contractors. Milestones were repeatedly missed, and planning gaps meant that technical readiness and procurement processes were not aligned with financial allocations.

Critically, the report warned that “projects now risk lapsing without achieving their intended goals,” signaling an official acknowledgment that the Mombasa Gate Bridge may never materialize without substantial intervention. This is not speculation; it is a government-documented failure affecting one of Kenya’s highest-profile infrastructure plans.

The combination of massive allocated funding, near-zero utilisation, high strategic importance, and official condemnation makes the Mombasa Gate Bridge a clear number one on this list. While other African infrastructure projects have stalled or mismanaged funds, few match the combination of scale, cost, and documented official failure seen here.

Beyond engineering and technical issues, the stalled bridge reflects broader systemic challenges in governance, fiscal oversight, and project continuity, turning a potentially transformative asset into a cautionary benchmark for infrastructure planning across the continent.

Across all five projects examined, a clear pattern emerges. Africa’s most ambitious infrastructure initiatives often falter not due to lack of vision, but because of gaps in governance, financial oversight, and project management. Nigeria’s Ikere Gorge Dam, Calabar Monorail, Ajaokuta Steel Mill, and Rivers State Monorail, alongside Kenya’s Mombasa Gate Bridge, illustrate how even well-funded projects can stall when planning is inconsistent, contracts are unclear, or institutional coordination breaks down.

These cases demonstrate that financial allocations alone are insufficient and that strong management, accountability, and sustained supervision are critical to turning large-scale plans into functional infrastructure that benefits communities.

Overall, the five projects reveal the long-term economic and social costs of abandoned or incomplete infrastructure, from wasted public resources to delayed development outcomes for intended beneficiaries.

Yet they also highlight opportunities for recovery through reassessment, private-sector engagement, and more sustainable project structures stalled initiatives can still be transformed into productive assets. Collectively, these examples underscore the importance of robust planning, transparent oversight, and resilient institutions in ensuring Africa’s ambitious infrastructure goals are successfully delivered.