The Presidency has dismissed accusations of marginalisation of Northern Nigeria under President Bola Tinubu’s leadership, countering claims made by former Kano State Governor, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.
Presidential aide, Sunday Dare, said the North remains a critical focus of the administration’s national development efforts.
In a post via his official X handle, Dare emphasized that over 40 key infrastructure and development projects were ongoing across the North, spanning the transport, agriculture, health, and energy sectors. According to him, these investments reflect a deliberate commitment to regional growth and equity.
Dare’s remarks came in response to Kwankwaso’s recent statement during a constitutional review dialogue in Kano, where the 2023 NNPP presidential candidate lamented what he termed increasing southern favoritism. He blamed the Tinubu administration for worsening poverty and insecurity in the North.
Highlighting key initiatives, Dare cited the Abuja–Kaduna–Kano Expressway, Kano–Maiduguri Road, and the Dikwa–Gamboru–Ngala Road in Borno as major transport projects underway. He also referenced the Sokoto–Badagry Super Highway as part of efforts to link northern states to coastal trade hubs.
In the rail sector, work is progressing on the Kaduna–Kano and Kano–Maradi railway lines, while ₦100 billion has been earmarked for the Kaduna Light Rail Project. These projects, the Presidency noted, were aimed at expanding regional connectivity and boosting the economy.
The administration’s investment in agriculture was also spotlighted. Dare mentioned the $158.15 million Agriculture Value Chain Development Programme across nine northern states and the Kolmani Integrated Development Project in Bauchi and Gombe. Additionally, he pointed to the World Bank-backed ACReSAL project aimed at restoring one million hectares of degraded land.
Healthcare infrastructure, according to Dare, is not being left behind. He listed upgrades at Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital in Zaria, the Federal Medical Centre in Nguru, and over 1,000 primary health centres as part of a region-wide healthcare overhaul.
Energy projects are central to the administration’s northern agenda, the aide added, referencing the Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano (AKK) Gas Pipeline, the Gwagwalada Power Plant, and the planned ABIBA Solar Power Station in Kaduna State. These, he said, would improve energy access and support industrialisation.
Backing the Presidency’s position, pan-Yoruba group Afenifere described Kwankwaso’s comments as inflammatory and misleading. In a statement by its National Organising Secretary, Otunba Kole Omololu, Afenifere warned that such rhetoric could stoke regional tension.
The group argued that Kwankwaso’s critique lacked context, noting that the North had historically received substantial federal attention, especially during the Buhari administration. “Where was Kwankwaso’s voice for equity and fairness then?” the group asked pointedly.
Afenifere accused the former senator of overlooking the lopsided infrastructural spending under Buhari, including the controversial Kano–Maradi Railway into Niger Republic, which they said lacked economic justification but was executed nonetheless.
They further reminded Kwankwaso that critical roads such as the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway and Second Niger Bridge remained incomplete under Buhari’s watch. In contrast, Tinubu, in less than two years, has already approved major works in Katsina, Borno, and Niger states.
The group maintained that President Tinubu had not yet completed even half of his first term, and judgment on regional equity was premature. “Development takes time, and every region will feel the impact by 2027,” the statement said.
Afenifere emphasized the importance of national unity and constructive dialogue, urging Kwankwaso and other political leaders to speak responsibly. “Let statesmen, not ethnic lords, shape the conversation,” the group added.
Concluding, the Yoruba socio-political group appealed for political maturity and urged leaders to avoid narratives that could incite division. “Kwankwaso’s rhetoric may gain applause in some quarters but poses a dangerous precedent for national discourse,” Afenifere stated.
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