The Federal Government will begin selling selected state-owned assets to private investors in 2026, marking a strategic shift in how public resources are managed. This initiative is designed to improve efficiency in state operations and invite fresh capital into the economy.
Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, disclosed this plan during an interview at an international economic forum. The government is conducting an internal review of its portfolio of assets to identify which holdings will be offered for sale, as well as setting the timeline and process for their transfer to private ownership.
The asset sales are part of broader economic reforms intended to optimise public resources, reduce fiscal pressure on the state, and strengthen Nigeria’s investment environment. Officials say the focus is on transparency and value creation to build investor confidence ahead of the planned 2026 transactions.
According to Edun, “The plan is to offer some assets in 2026.” This statement confirms the government’s intention to begin active divestment next year.
The minister also asserted that Nigeria’s current economic conditions and incentives make the country competitive and attractive to investors. He emphasised that government-private sector collaboration will remain central to the reform agenda. “What we have put in place has made Nigeria very competitive in terms of the economic conditions and very attractive in terms of the incentives for investors. I think investors are now more comfortable to invest in Nigeria.”
Edun further explained the government’s interest in fostering public-private partnerships and leveraging private capital. “We are interested in public-private partnerships and the optimisation of our assets by having others come in and invest.” This underscores a clear policy preference for private sector involvement in sectors traditionally run by the state.
The planned asset sales are integrated into a set of reforms introduced by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration. These include the removal of petrol subsidies, liberalisation of the foreign exchange market, and broad tax reforms aimed at strengthening revenue mobilization and fiscal sustainability. The government believes these reforms have started to yield tangible improvements in macroeconomic stability, revenue growth, and currency stability, laying a foundation for investor interest.
Beyond asset sales, the government is also pursuing private investment partnerships in critical areas such as energy. Discussions are underway with foreign firms to operate or acquire equity stakes in some state-owned refineries, many of which have been largely non-functional despite years of maintenance costs.
Nigeria has a history of privatisation and asset optimisation. Previous efforts included transferring most power generation and distribution companies to private control in 2013 and the privatisation of the state telecommunications firm in 2015. The current programme is viewed as an extension of this longer-term strategy to generate efficiency gains and reduce fiscal liabilities.
Analysts see the 2026 asset sale initiative as a measured attempt to rebalance the role of the state and private sectors in the economy. If executed with rigor and transparency, it could unlock capital, create jobs, and support infrastructure development. However, how assets are priced and which assets are chosen will ultimately determine the success of the programme.
