North Receives Over Half of 2024–2025 Project Allocations, Says Budget Office DG

The Director-General of the Budget Office of the Federation, Tanimu Yakubu, has dismissed allegations that the Tinubu administration is sidelining northern Nigeria in the allocation of federal development projects. Responding to recent public criticism, Yakubu stated that over 50 percent of the capital budget for both 2024 and 2025 has been allocated to projects situated in the northern region.

The remarks come after former Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation Babachir Lawal, and Arewa Consultative Forum Board of Trustees Chairman Bashir Dalhatu accused the administration of marginalising the North. Yakubu described these allegations as “unfounded” and “politically motivated,” asserting that the federal government is fully committed to balanced regional development. He emphasised that “northern Nigeria is not on the margins, it is at the heart of federal investment priorities.”

Yakubu explained that when national trunk infrastructure and water resource projects are properly accounted for, more than half of the federal capital spending is traceable to northern projects. Among the major developments he cited were the dualisation of the Abuja–Kano expressway and the ₦12.1 trillion Sokoto–Badagry Superhighway, which has already received ₦3.63 trillion in approvals for phases in Sokoto and Kebbi states.

Other key initiatives include the Kano–Maradi standard gauge railway, the Zungeru–Kano power transmission line, and upgrades to airport runways in Katsina, Maiduguri, and Kaduna. Yakubu also highlighted the ongoing development of inland dry ports in Funtua and Bauchi, designed to boost agro-exports and logistics infrastructure.

In water resource management, the Director-General noted significant investments in river basin authorities, with “unprecedented funding” directed toward irrigation, flood control, and rural economic resilience in areas like the Sokoto-Rima and Upper Benue basins.

On the security front, he pointed to increased funding for military operations in the north-west and north-central regions, including Operations Hadarin Daji, Whirl Stroke, and Whirl Punch. He revealed that over ₦60 billion is being channeled through the Office of the National Security Adviser and the North East Development Commission (NEDC) for rebuilding infrastructure in conflict-affected communities, such as schools, markets, and farmlands.

Yakubu also highlighted the administration’s focus on social protection, stating that more than 60 percent of the 12 million households enrolled in the conditional cash transfer programme are from northern states, underscoring the region’s central role in the government’s economic inclusion agenda.