North Got Over 50% Of 2024 And 2025 Project Allocations – Budget Office DG

Tanimu Yakubu, Director-General of the Budget Office of the Federation, has refuted assertions that President Bola Tinubu’s administration is sidelining northern Nigeria in terms of infrastructure and development initiatives.

Addressing recent critiques, Yakubu disclosed that over half of the federal capital budget for 2024 and 2025 has been designated for projects and programs 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 openly claimed that the Tinubu administration was marginalizing the north.

In response to these claims, Yakubu described the narrative of neglect as “unfounded” and “politically motivated,” emphasizing the federal government’s dedication to equitable regional development. “Contrary to politically motivated narratives, northern Nigeria is not on the margins, it is at the heart of federal investment priorities,” he stated.

Yakubu explained that more than 50 percent of the capital budget for the two fiscal years is allocated to northern projects when national trunk infrastructure and water basin investments are accurately considered. He highlighted several significant projects in progress, such as 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 notable infrastructure initiatives mentioned include the Kano–Maradi standard gauge railway, the Zungeru–Kano power transmission line, and airport runway expansions in Katsina, Maiduguri, and Kaduna. Yakubu also pointed to the establishment of inland dry ports in Funtua and Bauchi to boost agro-export and logistics capabilities.

Regarding water resource management, he noted that the government is channeling substantial investments through river basin development authorities, directing “unprecedented funding” toward irrigation, flood control, and rural livelihoods in areas like the Sokoto-Rima and Upper Benue basins.

Yakubu further highlighted intensified security operations in the north-west and north-central zones, with increased funding for military efforts such as Operations Hadarin Daji, Whirl Stroke, and Whirl Punch. He added that over ₦60 billion is being allocated through the Office of the National Security Adviser and the North East Development Commission (NEDC) to reconstruct infrastructure in conflict-affected areas, including schools, markets, and farmlands.

On the social protection front, he emphasized that over 60 percent of the more than 12 million households enrolled in the conditional cash transfer scheme hail from northern states, underscoring the administration’s commitment to economic inclusion across the region.

A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.

Nnamdi Okoli