The Presidency has dismissed claims by former Kano State governor and NNPP presidential candidate, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, that President Bola Tinubu’s administration is sidelining Northern Nigeria.
In a statement released on Friday, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, described Kwankwaso’s remarks as incorrect and misleading.
Kwankwaso had earlier alleged that federal resources and development projects were being unfairly concentrated in the South, leading to growing poverty and insecurity in the North.
But the Presidency said this was far from the truth. Dare explained that President Tinubu has initiated or continued several major projects in Northern Nigeria covering key sectors such as roads, health, energy, and agriculture.
He mentioned ongoing projects like the Abuja–Kaduna–Kano Expressway, Sokoto–Badagry Super Highway, and the Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano (AKK) Gas Pipeline as part of efforts to boost infrastructure in the region.
Other highlighted interventions include a \$158.15 million agriculture value chain programme across nine northern states, the Kolmani Integrated Development Project in Bauchi and Gombe, and the ACReSAL project aimed at restoring one million hectares of degraded land in the North.
Dare also noted improvements in healthcare, with expansion and investment in facilities like Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (Zaria), University of Jos Teaching Hospital, and Federal Medical Centre, Nguru, as well as the revitalisation of about 1,000 primary health centres across the North.
In terms of energy and transportation, he listed the Gwagwalada Power Plant, planned solar projects in Kaduna, and ongoing railway developments such as the Kaduna–Kano Rail Line, Kano–Maradi Rail, and the Abuja Metro rehabilitation.
“The claim that the North has been left behind is simply not true,” Dare stated. “The Tinubu administration remains committed to balanced development across all regions.”
The presidency’s response comes amid growing political debate over regional equity and development less than two years into President Tinubu’s administration.
