The Presidency has responded to recent remarks by Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, former governor of Kano State and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, who claimed that Northern Nigeria was being marginalized in terms of federal infrastructure and development initiatives.

Kwankwaso made the comments on Thursday during a stakeholders’ dialogue on the 2025 constitutional amendment held in Kano. He expressed frustration over the poor condition of the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano highway, describing the experience as “hellish,” especially when compared to roads in the southern parts of the country.

“Yesterday, I was supposed to travel by air, but the flight was rescheduled from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m., so I had to travel by road. From Abuja to Kaduna to Kano was hell a terrible, very bad road. This is a road that has been under construction since the early days of APC leadership. Now we are hearing that roads in the South and East are being prioritized,” Kwankwaso said.

In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, dismissed the allegations and emphasized President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to Northern development.

“The claim that Northern Nigeria has been left behind is incorrect. The Tinubu administration has initiated and continued several landmark projects in the North, covering roads, agriculture, healthcare, and energy,” Dare stated.

He cited major infrastructure projects such as the ongoing Abuja-Kaduna-Kano Expressway, the Sokoto-Badagry Expressway, and the Sokoto-Zamfara-Katsina Road as clear indicators of the government’s focus on the region.

In the agricultural sector, Dare highlighted initiatives like the $158.15 million Agricultural Value Chain Development Programme spanning nine northern states, the Kolmani Integrated Development Project in Bauchi and Gombe, and the World Bank–funded Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL), which aims to restore over one million hectares of degraded land.

On healthcare, he pointed to significant investments in institutions such as Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital in Zaria, Federal Teaching Hospital Katsina, University of Jos Teaching Hospital, and the rehabilitation of over 1,000 primary healthcare centers across the North.

In terms of transportation, Dare referenced ongoing rail infrastructure projects including the Kaduna-Kano Rail Line, the Kano-Maradi Rail Line (linking Nigeria to Niger Republic), and the rehabilitation of the Abuja light rail system.

The presidency reaffirmed that the administration remains committed to balanced national development and that the North is a critical part of its strategic agenda.