Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, former governor of Kano State and the 2023 presidential candidate for the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), claimed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's administration had marginalized the North.
The Presidency has refuted this claim. Kwankwaso had raised the alarm during a stakeholders’ dialogue on the 2025 constitutional amendment held in Kano on Thursday, accusing the federal government of skewing national resources in favour of the South, thereby worsening poverty and insecurity in the North.
He complained about the poor condition of federal roads in the area and talked about a recent ordeal in which he had to travel from Abuja to Kano via Kaduna because a flight had been canceled. He described the trip as "hell" due to the deteriorating road conditions.
In a swift response on Friday, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, refuted the allegations in a post on his X handle, insisting that the Tinubu administration has not neglected the region.
Sen. KWANKWOSO, You are incorrect.
”To support his position, he cited the Abuja–Kaduna–Kano Expressway, the Sokoto–Badagry Super Highway, and the Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano Gas Pipeline as examples of ongoing projects. According to him, the government is actively pursuing development across key sectors in the region.
Dare also mentioned the Kolmani Integrated Development Project in Bauchi and Gombe and the $158.15 million Agriculture Value Chain program in nine Northern states.
He added that the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) initiative is working to restore one million hectares of degraded land.
The presidential aide highlighted ongoing health interventions, including the expansion of facilities at Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria; University of Jos Teaching Hospital; and Federal Medical Centre, Nguru.
He said about 1,000 primary healthcare centres across the North are being revitalised.
On infrastructure, Dare named several road projects such as the Kano–Kongolam Road, Kaduna–Jos Road, the Kano–Maiduguri Dual Carriageway, and key rehabilitation works in Borno and Adamawa states.
In the energy sector, he pointed to the 614-kilometre Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano Gas Pipeline, the Gwagwalada Power Plant, and planned solar projects in Kaduna. He also mentioned major rail projects like the Abuja Metro rehabilitation and the Kaduna–Kano and Kano–Maradi rail lines.
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