The Presidency has dismissed recent claims by Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, the 2023 presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), alleging that the northern region is being marginalised under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Kwankwaso, speaking during a stakeholders’ dialogue on the 2025 constitutional amendment in Kano on Thursday, had accused the Federal Government of favouring the South in its distribution of national resources. He warned that this imbalance was contributing to growing poverty and insecurity in the North.
He also criticised the state of federal roads in the region, sharing his personal experience of a difficult road journey from Abuja to Kano after his flight was cancelled—describing the condition of the roads as “hellish.”
In response, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, took to X (formerly Twitter) on Friday to counter Kwankwaso’s remarks.
He described the allegation as misleading, stating that the Tinubu-led administration has embarked on several major projects in the North, spanning infrastructure, healthcare, agriculture, energy, and transportation.
“The claim that Northern Nigeria has been left behind is incorrect,” Dare wrote. “The Tinubu administration has initiated and is executing landmark projects in roads, agriculture, healthcare, and energy across the region.”
Among the key projects he highlighted are:
- Road Infrastructure: Abuja–Kaduna–Kano Expressway, Sokoto–Badagry Super Highway, Kano–Kongolam Road, Kaduna–Jos Road, and the Kano–Maiduguri Dual Carriageway, as well as rehabilitation works in Borno and Adamawa.
- Agriculture: A $158.15 million Agriculture Value Chain Development Programme across nine Northern states, and the Kolmani Integrated Development Project in Bauchi and Gombe.
- Environmental Recovery: The ACReSAL (Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes) initiative aimed at restoring one million hectares of degraded land.
- Healthcare: Upgrades and investments in facilities like Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (Zaria), University of Jos Teaching Hospital, Federal Medical Centre (Nguru), and revitalisation of 1,000 primary health centres.
- Energy: The 614 km Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano Gas Pipeline, the Gwagwalada Power Plant, and upcoming solar energy projects in Kaduna.
- Rail Projects: Construction of the Kaduna–Kano and Kano–Maradi rail lines, and rehabilitation of the Abuja Metro system.
Dare emphasized that the Tinubu administration remains committed to balanced national development.
“Northern Nigeria is not left behind,” he said. “From road networks to gas pipelines, agriculture, health, and rail, this administration has the North well covered.”
