North Not Neglected – Presidency Counters Kwankwaso With 43 Projects
The Spokesperson to President Bola Tinubu, Sunday Dare, has pushed back against claims by former Kano State governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso that President Bola Tinubu’s administration has neglected northern Nigeria.
In a rebuttal posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday, Dare, who served as Minister of Youth and Sports Development under the Buhari administration, described Kwankwaso’s remarks as “inaccurate and misinformed,” insisting the North remains a core focus of the Tinubu-led government.
“Senator Kwankwaso. You are wrong. North not neglected,” Dare declared. “President Tinubu has the north covered. Northern Nigeria is not left behind.”
Kwankwaso, who was the presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in the 2023 elections, had accused the federal government of concentrating resources in one part of the country while ignoring the rest.
He said on Thursday that the mismanagement of national resources under the current administration was worsening poverty and insecurity in the North.
But in response, Dare released a list of 43 federal projects and initiatives currently underway across northern states, spanning infrastructure, energy, health, agriculture, and transportation.
Among the highlighted projects are major road constructions such as the Abuja–Kaduna–Zaria–Kano expressway, Sokoto–Badagry expressway, and the Sokoto–Zamfara–Katsina corridor.
In the agriculture sector, Dare cited the $158.15 million Value Chain North (VCN) programme implemented in nine northern states, the Kolmani Integrated Development Project in Bauchi and Gombe, and the World Bank-funded ACReSAL climate resilience project.
“Large-scale irrigation development through the Kano River Project was commissioned in 2023 and remains operational,” he added.
On healthcare, Dare noted federal investments in the revitalisation of Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital in Zaria, Jos University Teaching Hospital, and over 1,000 primary healthcare centres across the region.
He also pointed to key energy infrastructure such as the 614-kilometre Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano gas pipeline, the Gwagwalada Power Plant, and solar power projects in Kaduna, which he said are “positioning the region as a growing energy hub.”
For transportation, the projects listed include the Kaduna–Kano and Kano–Maradi rail projects, N100 billion allocated for the Kaduna Light Rail system, and the ongoing rehabilitation of the Abuja metro line.
“All of these in only two years by President Tinubu,” Dare wrote, defending the administration’s record and directly challenging Kwankwaso’s critique.
He further mentioned regional development and environmental initiatives such as the Trans-Sahara trade corridor, the Great Green Wall programme, and erosion control works under the Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP).
The exchange has drawn widespread attention on social media and within political circles, with many observers dissecting the figures and claims presented by both sides.
While Kwankwaso’s comments sparked concerns over regional marginalisation, Dare’s detailed response appears aimed at reinforcing the administration’s narrative of inclusive national development.
North Not Neglected – Presidency Counters Kwankwaso With 43 Projects is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
