Tinubu: Presidency Dismisses Kwankwaso’s Claim of Northern Neglect

The Presidency has dismissed the claim by Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, the 2023 presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), that President Bola Tinubu’s administration is neglecting Northern Nigeria, describing the allegation as “incorrect and misleading.”

Responding on Friday, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, said the North is, in fact, a key beneficiary of critical infrastructure, agricultural, healthcare, and energy interventions by the Tinubu administration.

“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 stated.

Highlighting some of the major ongoing projects, Dare said the Abuja–Kaduna–Kano Expressway, Sokoto–Badagry Super Highway, and the Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano (AKK) Gas Pipeline are all active initiatives demonstrating the government’s focus on regional development.

He also pointed to the $158.15 million Agriculture Value Chain Development Programme being implemented in nine northern states, as well as the Kolmani Integrated Development Project located in Bauchi and Gombe States.

Dare said the administration is implementing the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) programme, aimed at restoring one million hectares of degraded land, noting that such efforts directly benefit the region’s long-term sustainability.

“Northern Nigeria is not left behind. From road networks to gas pipelines, agriculture, health, and rail, this administration has the North well covered,” he said.

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On healthcare delivery, the statement revealed that Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria, University of Jos Teaching Hospital, and Federal Medical Centre, Nguru, among others, have received new investments and expansions under President Tinubu’s leadership.

In addition, 1,000 primary healthcare centres in Northern Nigeria are undergoing revitalisation to improve grassroots health access.

The presidency further cited the Kano–Kongolam Road, Kaduna–Jos Road, and the Kano–Maiduguri Dual Carriageway as ongoing transport projects, with rehabilitation works also ongoing in Borno and Adamawa States.

Rail infrastructure under development includes the Kaduna–Kano Rail Line, Kano–Maradi Rail Line, and the ongoing Abuja Metro rehabilitation, all designed to bolster regional connectivity and economic opportunities.

On energy, Dare mentioned the 614-kilometre AKK Gas Pipeline, the Gwagwalada Power Plant, and planned solar power projects in Kaduna, which he described as game-changers for industrial growth and domestic energy access.

The clarification follows remarks made by Senator Kwankwaso during a stakeholders’ dialogue on the 2025 constitutional amendment in Kano on Thursday, where he alleged the southern region was receiving disproportionate attention at the expense of the North.

He lamented the “deplorable condition” of federal roads in Northern Nigeria, citing his own recent ordeal of travelling from Abuja to Kano by road after a cancelled flight, which he described as “hell.”

However, the presidency insists that national resources are being fairly distributed, with the North receiving massive and ongoing government attention across sectors.

“This is not about sentiment. The data and the projects on ground speak clearly. The North is not being left behind,” Dare reiterated.