The Federal Government has dismissed insinuations of marginalisation in the distribution of projects and appointments under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, insisting that the administration has been guided by fairness, justice and equity since inception.
In a statement on Sunday, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said recent claims and half-truths circulating in some quarters were misleading, stressing that verifiable data shows that all six geopolitical zones are beneficiaries of the government’s infrastructural and developmental interventions.
According to Idris, President Tinubu has demonstrated “uncommon commitment to balanced development and inclusivity” with massive capital projects spread across the country. He explained that all six regions now have Regional Development Commissions to re-energise local economies, while signature highway projects cut across both northern and southern parts of the country.
He highlighted key legacy road projects including the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway (750km), Sokoto–Badagry Superhighway (1,068km), Trans-Sahara Highway (465km), and the Akwanga–Jos–Bauchi–Gombe Road (439km), noting that the North accounts for 52 percent of ongoing work while the South takes 48 percent.
On project distribution, Idris said the Northwest currently has the largest share with ₦5.97 trillion (over 40 percent of approvals), followed by the South South with ₦2.41 trillion, North Central with ₦1.13 trillion, South West (excluding Lagos) with ₦604 billion, South East with ₦407 billion, and the North East with ₦400 billion.
The Minister listed additional infrastructure underway in different regions, including:
•North: Abuja–Kaduna–Kano dualisation (₦764bn), Sokoto–Gusau–Funtua–Zaria dualisation (₦824bn), Kano Northern Bypass, BUA Tax Credit Roads, Bama and Dikwa Roads in Borno, and the Damaturu–Maiduguri Road.
•South West: Lagos–Ibadan Expressway, Lagos–Sagamu dualisation, Oyo–Ogbomoso–Ilorin Road, and rehabilitation of Carter, Third Mainland and Eko Bridges.
•South East: Enugu–Onitsha Roads (via MTN and CBC Tax Credit), Enugu–Abakaliki Road, 2nd Niger Bridge Access Roads, and Lokpanta–Enugu dualisation.
•South South: Eleme–Onne Road, Eket Bypass, East–West Road Section 2, Nembe–Brass Road, Lokoja–Benin Dualisation, 2nd Niger Bridge Access Road in Delta, and the Bodo–Bonny Road.
Beyond roads, Idris said the administration has funded light rail projects in Kano and Kaduna (₦150bn and ₦100bn respectively), pushed rehabilitation of the Eastern rail corridor, advanced the AKK Gas Project, revived the 255MW Kaduna Power Plant, and supported oil exploration in the Kolmani region of Bauchi and Gombe States.
On federal appointments, he maintained that President Tinubu has been guided by competence and inclusivity, stressing that every region has capable representatives in government. The creation of five new Regional Development Commissions and the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, he added, further underscores Tinubu’s inclusive approach.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has not only kept faith with Nigerians but has proven himself to be a fair, pragmatic and consequential reformer,” Idris said. “His leadership is inclusive, his vision is unifying, and his commitment to equity and justice is unwavering. Nigerians can rest assured that under his watch, no part of this country will be left behind.”