The Presidency has dismissed claims by Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, who recently alleged that the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has sidelined Northern Nigeria in favour of the South when it comes to federal projects.
Responding on Friday via a post on his verified X handle, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, Mr. Sunday Dare, described Kwankwaso’s comments as “wrong,” maintaining that the North is receiving substantial attention under the current administration.
“Senator Kwankwaso. You are wrong. North not neglected. President Tinubu has the North covered,” Dare stated, accompanying the post with a detailed list of federal projects ongoing and completed in northern states.
He said the Tinubu-led government has invested heavily in infrastructure spanning roads, energy, health, agriculture, railways, and education — with northern Nigeria prominently featured in each sector.
According to Dare, infrastructure development in the region includes major highways such as the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano expressway, the Sokoto-Zamfara-Katsina expressway, and parts of the Sokoto-Badagry superhighway. He also cited extensive work on roads connecting Zaria, Funtua, Gusau, Sokoto, Maiduguri, Lafia, and Gaya, either under construction or undergoing rehabilitation.
On agriculture, he pointed to significant interventions such as the $158.15 million Agriculture Value Chain Programme covering nine northern states, the Kolmani Integrated Development Project across Bauchi and Gombe, and the World Bank–funded Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) scheme.
He also highlighted irrigation infrastructure, specifically the Kano River Project, which he said was fully operational under Tinubu after being commissioned in 2023.
In the health sector, the presidential aide listed facilities such as Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria, University of Jos Teaching Hospital, and the Federal Medical Centre, Nguru, among others, as beneficiaries of expansions and new investments. He also noted the revitalisation of about 1,000 primary health centres in the North.
Energy and gas infrastructure have also seen federal investment, Dare added, citing the 614-kilometre Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) Gas Pipeline, the Gwagwalada Power Plant in the Federal Capital Territory, and the proposed 50-megawatt ABIBA Solar Power Station in Kaduna State as key examples.
Rail and urban transport projects, according to him, include the 203-kilometre Kaduna–Kano rail line, the 285-kilometre Kano–Maradi railway, and a ₦100 billion provision for the Kaduna Light Rail System. He also mentioned the rehabilitation of the Abuja Metro Line and inland trade infrastructure development through the Trans-Sahara Trade Corridor, which connects Calabar to the North via Nasarawa.
The statement also drew attention to environmental and climate-focused programmes aimed at northern states, including initiatives by the National Agency for the Great Green Wall and the Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP), both tailored to the region’s ecological challenges.
“These are just samplers — tangible evidence of a government actively developing all regions without bias,” Dare concluded.
