The Presidency has firmly denied allegations made by Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, the 2023 presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, that President Bola Tinubu’s administration is marginalising Northern Nigeria.
The government, through its spokesperson, asserted that significant projects are currently underway in the region, refuting any suggestion of neglect.
Kwankwaso had stirred controversy during a stakeholders’ forum on the 2025 constitutional amendment held in Kano.
He criticized what he described as an imbalance in the allocation of national resources, claiming they are increasingly directed toward the South while the North grapples with worsening poverty and infrastructure decay.
He recounted a recent experience where he had to travel by road from Abuja to Kano due to a cancelled flight—a journey he described as excruciating because of the poor state of northern roads.
In response, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, issued a statement via X (formerly Twitter), countering the assertions made by the former Kano State Governor.
Dare stressed that the Tinubu administration is deeply committed to balanced national development and has initiated several landmark projects specifically designed to uplift the northern region.
“The claim that Northern Nigeria has been left behind is incorrect. The Tinubu administration has initiated and continued several landmark projects in the North, covering roads, agriculture, healthcare, and energy,” Dare wrote.
To support his position, Dare cited a broad range of infrastructure, agricultural, energy, and healthcare projects currently being implemented across several Northern states.
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He highlighted the Abuja–Kaduna–Kano Expressway, the Sokoto–Badagry Super Highway, and the Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano Gas Pipeline as flagship infrastructural investments intended to stimulate regional economic activity.
On the agricultural front, the Presidential aide revealed that the administration had launched a \$158.15 million Agriculture Value Chain Development Programme across nine Northern states.
He also mentioned the Kolmani Integrated Development Project, a joint oil and gas initiative situated in Bauchi and Gombe States, as evidence of the government’s intent to harness the region’s natural resources for economic transformation.
Further, Dare referenced the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes programme, which aims to restore at least one million hectares of degraded land in the North.
He noted that this effort would boost food security and build climate resilience in one of Nigeria’s most vulnerable zones.
Healthcare investments were also emphasized. Dare listed upgrades and expansions at key tertiary health institutions like Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital in Zaria, the University of Jos Teaching Hospital, and the Federal Medical Centre in Nguru.
Additionally, he stated that about 1,000 primary health centres across northern states were being revitalised to improve access to basic healthcare.
Road infrastructure remains a priority under Tinubu, according to Dare. Projects cited include the Kano–Kongolam Road, the Kaduna–Jos Road, the Kano–Maiduguri Dual Carriageway, and several critical corridors in Borno and Adamawa undergoing rehabilitation.
In the energy sector, he highlighted the ongoing 614-kilometre Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano Gas Pipeline and the Gwagwalada Power Plant as vital components of the administration’s national energy agenda.
These projects, he said, would ensure improved electricity supply and boost industrial activity in the North.
Planned solar initiatives in Kaduna were also mentioned as part of broader renewable energy efforts.
On transportation, the presidential spokesman mentioned ongoing work on the Kaduna–Kano and Kano–Maradi rail lines, as well as the rehabilitation of the Abuja Metro, which he said will ease mobility and support regional integration.
Dare concluded his statement with a firm rejection of the narrative of northern neglect. “Northern Nigeria is not left behind. From road networks to gas pipelines, agriculture, health, and rail, this administration has the North well covered,” he wrote.
While political observers note that Kwankwaso’s comments may reflect growing frustration within parts of the North about perceived marginalisation, the Presidency’s swift rebuttal underscores the high stakes around regional equity in Nigeria’s political landscape.
Punch Newspapers
