The Presidency has dismissed claims by Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, the 2023 presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), that the North has been sidelined under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Kwankwaso, speaking at a stakeholders’ dialogue on constitutional review in Kano on Thursday, alleged that national resources are increasingly skewed toward the southern region, deepening poverty and insecurity in the North. He also criticized the poor condition of federal roads, describing a recent road trip from Abuja to Kano as “hellish” after his flight was canceled.
In response, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, said Kwankwaso’s assertion was misleading and inaccurate. In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday, Dare emphasized that the Tinubu administration has launched and sustained several major projects across the North, spanning infrastructure, agriculture, healthcare, energy, and transportation.
He cited the ongoing construction and rehabilitation of the Abuja–Kaduna–Kano Expressway, the Sokoto–Badagry Super Highway, the Kano–Maiduguri Dual Carriageway, the Kano–Kongolam Road, and the Kaduna–Jos Road, alongside critical road corridors in Borno and Adamawa states.
In the energy sector, Dare pointed to the ongoing 614-kilometre Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano Gas Pipeline, the Gwagwalada Power Plant project, and planned solar energy initiatives in Kaduna. He also referenced the Kaduna–Kano and Kano–Maradi railway projects, along with the ongoing rehabilitation of the Abuja Metro line.
On agriculture, he highlighted a $158.15 million Agricultural Value Chain programme being implemented across nine northern states, as well as the Kolmani Integrated Development Project spanning Bauchi and Gombe states. Environmental efforts such as the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) project are also underway, aimed at restoring one million hectares of degraded land in the region.
Dare said significant investments have been made in the health sector, including expansions and upgrades at Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital in Zaria, the University of Jos Teaching Hospital, and the Federal Medical Centre in Nguru. Additionally, the government is revitalizing around 1,000 primary healthcare centres across northern Nigeria.
He stressed that President Tinubu’s development strategy has not overlooked the North, contrary to Kwankwaso’s claims. According to Dare, the range of projects underway clearly demonstrates the administration’s commitment to inclusive growth and balanced national development.
“Northern Nigeria is not left behind. From road networks to gas pipelines, agriculture, health, and rail, this administration has the North well covered,” he concluded.
