The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has claimed that Nigeria’s northern region is facing marginalization in federal budget allocations and infrastructure development under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
During a presentation at a two-day interactive session on government-citizen engagement organized by the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation in Kaduna State, Bashir Dalhatu, Chairman of the ACF Board of Trustees, asserted that the North has been “sidelined in key policy decisions and project implementation,” despite the region’s substantial support for President Tinubu in the 2023 general elections.
To highlight this alleged marginalization, Dalhatu cited figures from the 2025 federal budget for road projects.
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He pointed out that out of the ₦1.013 trillion allocated for roads, only ₦24 billion — less than one percent — was earmarked for road projects in the Northeast.
” In addition to its natural disadvantages, Northern Nigeria also suffers from age-old neglect by the federal government in relation to the development of transportation infrastructure in the country.
“Unlike the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and the Second Niger Bridge, not one single road of strategic importance to the North has been completed or even properly maintained in the last twenty years. For example, this year’s federal budget for roads is N1.013 trillion. But of that, a mere N24 billion (or less than 1 %) was allocated to projects in the Northeast. It is important to invite the attention of the President to start, re-start, expedite or complete the construction of the major roads that are of great strategic importance to Northern Nigeria, which include the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano, Ilorin- Jebba- Tegina- B/Gwari- Kaduna, Abuja- Lokoja- Okene- Auchi, Zaria- Funtua- Gusau- Sokoto- Ilela, Keffi- Akwanga- Jos- Bauchi- Gombe- Yola, Calabar- Ogoja- Wukari- Numan- Biu- Maiduguri and Wudil- Kafin Hausa- Katagum-Potiskum roads among others.”
Dalhatu further criticized the regional distribution of budget allocations, citing a May 2025 press release from the federal Ministry of Works.
He pointed out that these allocations were noticeably “skewed against Northern Nigeria,” despite the region’s significant support for President Tinubu in the 2023 elections.2
“Evidence of this regrettable situation abounds everywhere, but I will cite as an example the press statement published by the Federal Ministry of Works on the 5th of May, 2025: Southwest – N1.394 trillion, Southeast- N205 billion, Northwest- N105 billion, Northeast – N30 billion.
” Sadly, these days, this discriminatory practice is not done secretly; no, it is splashed directly into our face – openly and frankly and without apology”.
The ACF leader also criticised the federal government’s poor allocation to agriculture despite northern Nigeria’s position as the nation’s food basket.
“The Northern states provide over 75% of Nigeria’s landmass and own 95% of the livestock industry. When agriculture remains one of the more neglected sectors in the economy, it is a cause for great concern in the North. Despite the apparent good intentions of the Tinubu administration, the federal government’s allocation to agriculture in the last two years remains below 5% of the total budget. The target set by the FAO is at least 25%.
“Federal budgetary allocation to agriculture and food security should be scaled up to at least 20% of the total.
“That way, the government could expand its support to farmers. Providing tractors and other mechanical equipment to farmers at subsidised prices, being done at the moment, is an example of a good and helpful policy”.
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