The Nigerian government has firmly dismissed claims by opposition leader Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso that President Bola Tinubu’s administration has neglected the country’s northern regions in allocating resources. Kwankwaso, the 2023 presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and former governor of Kano State, made the allegations during a constitutional amendment dialogue in Kano on Thursday, arguing that infrastructure development had disproportionately favored southern states while the North faced decay.
In a Friday rebuttal on social media platform X, presidential media adviser Sunday Dare labeled the criticism “inaccurate,” asserting that Tinubu’s government had prioritized northern development. “Senator Kwankwaso, you are wrong. North not neglected. President Tinubu has the North covered,” Dare wrote, outlining a series of initiatives across transportation, healthcare, agriculture, and energy sectors.
Key infrastructure projects highlighted include the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano dual carriageway, the Kano-Maiduguri expressway, and the Sokoto-Badagry superhighway, alongside road networks linking Adamawa, Taraba, Kaduna, and Jos. The administration also cited upgrades to major hospitals, including the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital in Zaria and the University of Jos Teaching Hospital, alongside the revitalization of over 1,000 primary healthcare centers in northern communities.
Agricultural investments feature prominently, with a $158 million Agriculture Value Chain program active in nine northern states, the Kolmani Integrated Development Project in Bauchi and Gombe, and the Kano River irrigation scheme. A World Bank-backed climate resilience initiative, ACReSAL, aims to restore degraded land across the region.
Energy and transport developments include the 614-kilometer Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano Gas Pipeline, the Gwagwalada Power Plant near Abuja, and solar projects in Kaduna. Rail infrastructure projects such as the Kaduna-Kano and Kano-Maradi lines, alongside the ₦100 billion Kaduna Light Rail, were also emphasized. Environmental efforts include anti-desertification programs led by the National Agency for the Great Green Wall.
Dare underscored the scale of these initiatives, stating they had been advanced “in only two years” under Tinubu’s leadership. The response reflects ongoing political tensions over resource allocation in Nigeria, where regional equity remains a sensitive issue. Kwankwaso’s criticism, however, highlights persistent concerns about uneven development in a nation grappling with infrastructure gaps and economic disparities.
