The Presidency has dismissed claims made by Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in the 2023 general elections, that President Bola Tinubu’s administration has marginalised northern Nigeria.
Kwankwaso, speaking during a stakeholders’ dialogue on the 2025 constitutional amendment in Kano on Thursday, alleged that federal resources are being increasingly concentrated in the South, warning that the trend is worsening poverty and insecurity in the North.
He also decried the poor condition of federal roads in the region, recounting a recent experience where a cancelled flight forced him to travel from Abuja to Kano by road through Kaduna, which he described as “hellish” due to the deplorable state of the roads.
“From Abuja to Kaduna to Kano was a hell. Very bad road. This is a road that was started many years ago, right from the beginning of APC’s leadership,” he said.
Kwankwaso added that while infrastructure development is welcome across the country, the government must ensure equitable distribution of resources.
However, in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday, the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, described Kwankwaso’s comments as misleading and inaccurate.
“The claim that Northern Nigeria has been left behind is incorrect. The Tinubu administration has launched and continued several major projects in the North, spanning roads, agriculture, healthcare, and energy,” Dare said.
He listed several key infrastructure projects underway in the region, including the Abuja–Kaduna–Kano Expressway, the Sokoto–Badagry Super Highway, the Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano Gas Pipeline, and the expansion of the Mararaba–Keffi Road (43.65 km).
Dare also highlighted the $158.15 million Agriculture Value Chain Programme being implemented in nine northern states, as well as the Kolmani Integrated Development Project in Bauchi and Gombe.
Other initiatives include the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) project aimed at restoring one million hectares of degraded land, and major upgrades to healthcare institutions such as Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital in Zaria, University of Jos Teaching Hospital, and the Federal Medical Centre in Nguru.
According to Dare, the government is also revitalising around 1,000 primary health centres across the North.
On road infrastructure, he mentioned key projects like the Kano–Kongolam Road, Kaduna–Jos Road, Kano–Maiduguri Dual Carriageway, and the rehabilitation of road corridors in Borno and Adamawa states.
In the energy sector, Dare pointed to the 614 km Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano Gas Pipeline, the ongoing construction of the Gwagwalada Power Plant, and proposed solar energy projects in Kaduna.
Railway projects include the Kaduna–Kano and Kano–Maradi Rail Lines, as well as the rehabilitation of the Abuja Metro.
“All of these achievements have been recorded within just two years of President Tinubu’s administration,” Dare stated.