The Presidency has refuted claims of Northern Nigeria being neglected under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
To set the record straight, the government has released a comprehensive list of federal projects underway across the region.
These projects span critical sectors such as agriculture, health, roads and highways, energy and gas, rail and metro, waterways and trade corridors, and national programs and institutions.
On Friday, Mr. Sunday Dare, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, highlighted some of these initiatives on his official X handle, emphasizing that President Tinubu’s leadership has seen the launch of several agricultural projects specifically in Northern Nigeria.
“These include the $158.15m Agriculture Value Chain (VCN) Programme for nine Northern states, the Kolmani Integrated Development Project in Bauchi and Gombe States, and the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) programme.
“Additionally, the Kano River Project, a large-scale integrated irrigation development in Kano State, has been commissioned and is operational.”
Persecondnews reports that in the health sector, the Presidency highlighted several projects, including the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital in Zaria, Kaduna, the Federal Teaching Hospital in Katsina, and the University of Jos Teaching Hospital in Plateau State.
Other health projects include the Reference Hospital in Kaduna, the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital in Sokoto, and the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital in Bauchi.
The Presidency also noted the administration’s commitment to improving road infrastructure in Northern Nigeria.
“Several major road projects have been undertaken, including the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano Expressway, the Sokoto-Badagry Expressway, and the Sokoto-Zamfara-Katsina Expressway. Other notable projects include the Kano-Kongolam Road, the Yakasai-Zalli Road, and the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Dual Carriageway,” the statement reads.
Furthermore, the Presidency highlighted the administration’s efforts to boost energy and gas production in the region. The Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano Gas Pipeline (AKK) project is a notable example, as is the planned ABIBA Solar Power Station in Kaduna.
The Presidency also pointed out that the Kaduna Light Rail System is being developed with a ₦100 billion budget allocation.
The Presidency’s list of projects also includes the National Agency for the Great Green Wall (NAGGW), which has been given a renewed mandate to combat desertification in Northern Nigeria.
The Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP) is another initiative aimed at controlling erosion and developing watershed infrastructure in the region.
According to the Presidency, these projects demonstrate President Tinubu’s commitment to the development of Northern Nigeria, contradicting claims of neglect.
Persecondnews recalls that Kwankwaso, the 2023 presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), had criticized the Tinubu administration for what he described as the neglect of the northern region of Nigeria and the concentration of the nation’s resources on developing the southern part of the country where the president comes from.
He made the remarks at the Kano State Stakeholders’ Dialogue on the 2025 Constitutional Amendment on Thursday,
saying most of the national budget is now tilting in one direction.
Kwankwaso accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of lopsided allocation of scarce resources between the two regions of the country – the North and the South.
He cited the deplorable condition of roads in the northern region, while the APC government continues to allocate huge budgetary allocations for infrastructural development in the southern region.
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