Tanimu Yakubu, Director-General of the Budget Office of the Federation, has dismissed claims that the administration of President Bola Tinubu is neglecting northern Nigeria in infrastructure and development projects.
Speaking in response to recent criticisms, Yakubu revealed that more than half of the federal capital budget for 2024 and 2025 has been allocated to projects and programmes in the northern region.
Former Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Babachir Lawal, and Bashir Dalhatu, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), had publicly accused the Tinubu administration of marginalising the north.
Addressing the allegations, Yakubu said the narrative of neglect is “unfounded” and “politically motivated,” stressing that the federal government is committed to balanced regional development. “Contrary to politically motivated narratives, northern Nigeria is not on the margins, it is at the heart of federal investment priorities,” he said.
According to Yakubu, over 50 percent of the capital budget for the two fiscal years is traceable to northern projects when national trunk infrastructure and water basin investments are properly accounted for. He cited several major projects underway in the region, including the dualisation of the Abuja–Kano expressway and the ₦12.1 trillion Sokoto–Badagry Superhighway, with ₦3.63 trillion already approved for phases in Sokoto and Kebbi states.
Other key infrastructure projects listed include the Kano–Maradi standard gauge railway, the Zungeru–Kano power transmission line, and airport runway expansions in Katsina, Maiduguri, and Kaduna. Yakubu also mentioned the development of inland dry ports in Funtua and Bauchi aimed at enhancing agro-export and logistics.
In the area of water resource management, he said the government is investing heavily through river basin development authorities, directing “unprecedented funding” towards irrigation, flood control, and rural livelihoods in regions such as the Sokoto-Rima and Upper Benue basins.
Yakubu also pointed to enhanced security operations in the north-west and north-central zones, with increased funding for military initiatives including Operations Hadarin Daji, Whirl Stroke, and Whirl Punch. He noted that over ₦60 billion is being channelled through the Office of the National Security Adviser and the North East Development Commission (NEDC) to rebuild infrastructure in conflict-affected areas, including schools, markets, and farmlands.
On social protection, he highlighted that more than 60 percent of the over 12 million households enrolled in the conditional cash transfer scheme are from northern states, reinforcing the administration’s focus on economic inclusion across the region.