Presidency Counters Kwankwaso: North Not Neglected Under Tinubu’s Leadership

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu

The Presidency has firmly rejected claims made by Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration is favoring Southern Nigeria while marginalizing the North in terms of infrastructure development and federal attention.

Kwankwaso, former Kano State governor and 2023 presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), made the allegations during the Kano State Stakeholders’ Dialogue on the 2025 Constitutional Amendment. He voiced frustrations over what he described as the deplorable state of the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano highway, saying the journey by road was “hellish” due to ongoing delays in completing the project.

“I was meant to travel by air, but my flight was delayed from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. I had no choice but to travel by road. The experience was terrible. That road has remained in poor condition for years, and yet we hear about completed roads in the South,” Kwankwaso remarked.

In response, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, issued a statement via his official handle on X (formerly Twitter) defending the administration’s national development strategy.

According to Dare, President Tinubu’s commitment to inclusive national development is evident through numerous landmark infrastructure, agricultural, health, and transport initiatives spread across Northern Nigeria.

“The claim that Northern Nigeria has been left behind is inaccurate. The Tinubu administration has launched and sustained critical projects across the North that will have long-term impact,” Dare stated.

He cited a range of ongoing road projects, including:

• Abuja-Kaduna-Kano Expressway

• Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway

• Sokoto-Zamfara-Katsina Corridor

In the agriculture sector, Dare pointed to the $158.15 million Agricultural Value Chain Development Programme spanning nine northern states. He also highlighted:

• The Kolmani Integrated Development Project in Bauchi and Gombe.

• The ACReSAL Project (Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes), backed by the World Bank, aiming to reclaim over 1 million hectares of degraded land in the North.

Dare emphasized significant upgrades in the healthcare system with projects such as:

• Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria

• Federal Teaching Hospital, Katsina

• University of Jos Teaching Hospital

• Over 1,000 rehabilitated primary healthcare centers across the region

He also referenced investments in rail infrastructure, including:

• The Kaduna-Kano Rail Line

• The Kano-Maradi Rail Line, strengthening regional trade links

• Rehabilitation of Abuja Light Rail, enhancing mobility in the Federal Capital Territory

Dare concluded that while all regions of Nigeria deserve development, spreading false narratives of regional neglect only serves to divide the nation. He urged stakeholders to engage constructively and recognize the broad-based development strategy President Tinubu is pursuing.