The Presidency has strongly rejected recent claims by former Kano State Governor and 2023 NNPP presidential candidate, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, accusing the Tinubu administration of marginalizing Northern Nigeria in its infrastructure and development agenda.
Kwankwaso, speaking at a stakeholders’ dialogue on the 2025 constitutional amendment in Kano on Thursday, criticized the Federal Government for allegedly prioritizing the South in terms of federal projects. He particularly lamented the dilapidated state of the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano highway, describing the journey as “hell.”
“Yesterday, I was to come by air; unfortunately, my airline shifted our take-off from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. I had to come by road. From Abuja to Kaduna to Kano was hell, a terrible, very bad road. And this is a road that was started many years ago, during the early APC administration. Now we are told that there is a road from the South to the East,” Kwankwaso said.
Responding to the allegation in a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, Mr. Sunday Dare, dismissed the accusations as unfounded and misleading.
Dare emphasized that President Bola Tinubu’s administration has been deliberate in ensuring inclusive national development, pointing to ongoing federal investments in infrastructure, agriculture, healthcare, and energy across Northern Nigeria.
“The claim that Northern Nigeria has been left behind is incorrect,” Dare said. “The Tinubu administration has initiated and sustained several landmark projects in the North.”
He listed major infrastructure works including:
- The Abuja-Kaduna-Kano Expressway (currently under rehabilitation),
- The Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway,
- The Sokoto-Zamfara-Katsina Road.
In agriculture, Dare referenced the $158.15 million Agriculture Value Chain Programme spanning nine northern states, the Kolmani Integrated Development Project in Bauchi and Gombe, and the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) initiative, a World Bank–supported project aimed at restoring over one million hectares of degraded land.
On health, he noted upgrades to institutions like:
- Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria
- Federal Teaching Hospital, Katsina
- University of Jos Teaching Hospital
- Rehabilitation of over 1,000 primary healthcare centres across northern states.
The presidential aide also outlined progress in the transport sector, citing the Kaduna-Kano Rail Line, the Kano-Maradi Rail Project linking Nigeria to Niger Republic, and the revitalization of Abuja’s light rail system.
In the energy sector, Dare pointed to renewable energy efforts such as the ABIBA 50MW Solar Power Project in Kaduna, and multiple ongoing power grid interventions.
He further mentioned several key road reconstructions, including:
- Zaria-Funtua-Gusau-Sokoto Dual Carriageway
- Dikwa-Gamboru-Ngala Road
- Kaduna-Jos Single Carriageway
Dare concluded that President Tinubu’s administration has, in less than two years, laid the groundwork for long-term and inclusive development across Nigeria, including the North.
“This administration’s actions speak louder than political rhetoric. The facts on the ground contradict Senator Kwankwaso’s narrative,” he added.
The presidency’s statement appears aimed at quelling rising political tensions and reinforcing Tinubu’s commitment to national unity and balanced development.
