The Spokesperson to President Bola Tinubu, Sunday Dare, has dismissed recent claims by former Kano State governor and 2023 presidential candidate, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, that the Tinubu administration has neglected Northern Nigeria.
In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday, Dare described Kwankwaso’s comments as “inaccurate and misinformed,” asserting that President Tinubu’s government has made the North a central focus of its development agenda.
“Senator Kwankwaso. You are wrong. North not neglected,” Dare wrote. “President Tinubu has the north covered. Northern Nigeria is not left behind.”
Kwankwaso had alleged that the current administration was concentrating national resources in a single region while ignoring the rest, warning that such mismanagement was worsening poverty and insecurity in the North.
However, in his detailed rebuttal, Dare listed 43 federal projects and initiatives currently ongoing across Northern states. These span critical sectors including infrastructure, energy, healthcare, agriculture, transportation, and environmental sustainability.
Key Federal Projects Cited in the North:
- Infrastructure: Abuja–Kaduna–Zaria–Kano expressway, Sokoto–Badagry road, and the Sokoto–Zamfara–Katsina road corridor.
- Agriculture: The $158.15 million Value Chain North (VCN) programme active in nine states, the Kolmani Integrated Development Project in Bauchi and Gombe, and the World Bank-supported ACReSAL climate resilience initiative.
- Healthcare: Revitalisation efforts at Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (Zaria), Jos University Teaching Hospital, and the upgrading of over 1,000 primary healthcare centres across Northern Nigeria.
- Energy: Construction of the 614-kilometre Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano gas pipeline, the Gwagwalada Power Plant, and ongoing solar power installations in Kaduna State, which Dare described as “positioning the region as a growing energy hub.”
- Transportation: The Kaduna–Kano and Kano–Maradi railway lines, a ₦100 billion allocation for the Kaduna Light Rail project, and the rehabilitation of the Abuja Metro Line.
“All of these in only two years by President Tinubu,” Dare noted, underscoring what he called a deliberate and strategic investment in Northern development.
He also highlighted regional and environmental projects such as the Trans-Sahara Trade Corridor, Great Green Wall Programme, and erosion and flood control works under the Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP).
Dare concluded by reaffirming the administration’s commitment to balanced national development, stating that Tinubu’s reforms are not only inclusive but also laying the foundation for long-term prosperity across all regions.
