The north is not marginalised — it is mobilised: A clarification on Tinubu’s northern investments

The Federal Government reiterates its deep commitment to the development and prosperity of Northern Nigeria as a core pillar of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda. Recent commentaries portraying the region as neglected do not align with verifiable budgetary, programmatic, and strategic facts on the ground.

Contrary to politically motivated narratives, Northern Nigeria is not on the margins—it is at the heart of federal investment priorities. Over 50% of the capital budget for 2024 and 2025 is traceable to projects and programs in the North when major national trunk infrastructure and water basin investments are properly accounted for.

Infrastructure: Facts Over Fiction

The following flagship projects and interventions serve as tangible evidence of the administration’s commitment:

•Abuja–Kano Expressway dualization

•The ₦12.1 trillion Sokoto–Badagry Superhighway, the most ambitious cross-regional road project in decades, spanning 1,068 km

•₦3.63 trillion (30%) already approved by President Tinubu for the project’s initial rollout in Sokoto and Kebbi

•Kano–Maradi Standard Gauge Railway, a Sahel trade corridor enabler

•Zungeru–Kano Power Transmission Line, boosting industrial power supply

•Funtua and Bauchi Inland Dry Ports for agro-export and logistics

•Expansion of Airport Runways in Katsina, Maiduguri, and Kaduna

Additionally, the River Basin Development Authorities (RBDAs)—notably Sokoto-Rima, Upper Benue, Hadejia-Jama’are, and Lower Niger—are receiving unprecedented funding for irrigation, flood control, and rural livelihoods.

Agriculture and Food Security

The North continues to anchor the nation’s food basket and is central to:

•Special Agro-Processing Zones (SAPZs) in Borno, Kaduna, and Kebbi

•The National Wheat Development Programme, piloted in Jigawa and Kano

•Fertilizer subsidy and dry-season farming interventions targeting over 1 million smallholder farmers.

Energy 

It is important to reflect President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s determination to complete and personally commission the 255MW Power Plant in the Kudenda Industrial Estate, originally initiated under the late President Umar Musa Yar’Adua, as well as the idle 46MW Power Plant within the Kaduna Refinery complex. Both plants are expected to come onstream upon completion of the AKK Gas Pipeline, a flagship gas infrastructure priority under the Tinubu administration.

The addition of 301MW in electricity output will be one of the defining game changers for the North’s industrial and infrastructural landscape — set to energise commercial heartlands such as Kaduna, Funtua, Kano, and other key manufacturing corridors across the region.

It is in this context that President Tinubu has directed that the InfraCorp and other relevant MDAs to realise this transformative opportunity — one that the President has silently prioritised and steadily advanced as part of his commitment to revitalising Northern industry through infrastructure and energy access.

Security and Stabilization

President Tinubu has increased funding for military operations in the Northwest and Northcentral, including Operation Hadarin Daji, Whirl Stroke, and Whirl Punch. Rural stabilization efforts through the NSA’s Office and the North East Development Commission (NEDC) are channeling over ₦60 billion into rebuilding schools, markets, and farmlands in affected areas.

Social Protection and Economic Inclusion

•Over 12 million households are enrolled in Conditional Cash Transfers, with more than 60% located in Northern states

•The TraderMoni and MSME Survival Fund 2.0 prioritize small businesses in Kano, Katsina, Gombe, and Zamfara

•UBEC grants and healthcare investments are targeting the hardest-hit LGAs in Yobe, Sokoto, and Niger States

Political Inclusion and Leadership

From the Vice President to key ministers in Defense, Agriculture, Budget Planning, Education, and Police Affairs, Northern leaders are not mere figureheads—they are policy drivers. They shape fiscal policy, national defense, and sectoral reforms at the highest levels.

The claim that Northern Nigeria has been marginalized is not supported by facts. What is emerging under the Tinubu administration is a strategic recalibration of national development—with the North in focus, not in retreat. As we build a Nigeria that works for all, this government remains committed to equity, accountability, and regional balance.

Yakubu is the DG of the Budget Office of the Federation.