The Presidency has strongly refuted claims by former Kano State Governor and NNPP chieftain, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, alleging that President Bola Tinubu’s administration has sidelined Northern Nigeria in its development agenda.
In a detailed response on his official X handle, @SundayDareSD, the Special Adviser to the President on Strategy and Communications, Sunday Dare, dismissed the allegations, stating categorically that the North has not been neglected.
He described Kwankwaso’s remarks as “unfounded and politically motivated,” insisting that President Tinubu has delivered tangible projects across the North in less than two years.
According to Dare, President Tinubu has prioritised the North in infrastructure development, agriculture, healthcare, transportation, energy, and climate-focused interventions, pointing to completed and ongoing projects as evidence.
Among the key projects cited are the Abuja–Kaduna–Zaria–Kano Expressway, the 1,068 km Sokoto–Badagry Super Highway, the Sokoto–Zamfara–Katsina Road, and the expansive Kano–Maiduguri Dual Carriageway. In the rail sector, Dare referenced the Kaduna–Kano and Kano–Maradi Rail Lines, along with a ₦100 billion commitment to develop a Light Rail System in Kaduna State.
In the area of agriculture, Dare highlighted the $158.15 million Agricultural Value Chain Programme covering nine Northern states, the Kolmani Integrated Development Project in Bauchi and Gombe, and the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL), a World Bank–funded programme aiming to restore over a million hectares of degraded land across the region.
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He also underscored President Tinubu’s interventions in the health sector, including upgrades and expansions in Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital in Zaria, the Federal Teaching Hospital in Katsina, the University of Jos Teaching Hospital, and the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital in Sokoto, among others. He added that more than 1,000 Primary Healthcare Centres across Northern states are being revitalised under the current administration.
In terms of energy, Dare pointed to the ongoing Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano (AKK) Gas Pipeline project, the Gwagwalada Power Plant in the FCT, and the proposed ABIBA Solar Power Plant in Kaduna as examples of the administration’s efforts to improve power supply in the region.
Dare further mentioned strategic national programmes such as the revitalised National Agency for the Great Green Wall (NAGGW), and the Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP), both of which focus on ecological restoration and resilience in Northern states.
He stressed that these interventions across more than 40 different projects and programmes have either been initiated, completed, or significantly advanced under President Tinubu’s leadership.
“This is just within the first two years,” Dare wrote. “The claim that the North has been forgotten is not just inaccurate, it is false. President Tinubu has proven through action and investment that every region, including the North, matters.”
The Presidency called on political leaders to avoid divisive narratives and instead focus on acknowledging the work being done to drive development and national unity.
(Editor: Paul Akhagbemhe)
