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Tinubu govt executing 40 major projects in North – Presidency
Tinubu govt executing 40 major projects in North – Presidency
The Presidency yesterday dismissed claims that Northern Nigeria was being neglected under President Bola Tinubu, insisting that the region was benefiting massively from his administration’s policies and investments.
Special adviser to the president on media and public communications, Sunday Dare, on his X handle, said more than 40 major infrastructure and development projects were currently underway across the North, cutting across transport, agriculture, health and energy sectors.
He was refuting allegations by the 2023 presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, that the North had been neglected under Tinubu’s administration.
Among the highlighted projects are key highways such as the Abuja–Kaduna–Kano Expressway, Sokoto–Badagry Super Highway, Kano–Maiduguri Dual Carriageway, and the reconstruction of the Dikwa–Gamboru–Ngala Road in Borno State.
In the rail sector, the Presidency cited ongoing work on the Kaduna–Kano Rail Line, the Kano–Maradi Rail Line linking Niger Republic, and the ₦100 billion allocation for the Kaduna Light Rail System.
The agriculture sector has also seen heavy federal investment, with programmes like the $158.15 million Agriculture Value Chain initiative for nine Northern states, the Kolmani Integrated Development Project in Bauchi and Gombe, and the World Bank–funded ACReSAL programme targeting one million hectares of degraded land for restoration.
On healthcare, Dare listed expansions and upgrades at major facilities, including Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria, Federal Medical Centre, Nguru, and over 1,000 Primary Health Centres across the North.
Energy projects are equally on the radar, including the Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano (AKK) Gas Pipeline, the Gwagwalada Power Plant, and the proposed ABIBA Solar Power Station in Kaduna.
Pan-Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere, also faulted Kwankwaso’s remark that national resources were increasingly tilted towards the southern region.
Afenifere said Kwankwaso’s statement was not only unfair but also deeply dangerous.
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Recall that Kwankwaso, during a stakeholders’ dialogue on the 2025 constitutional amendment in Kano on Thursday, warned that national resources were increasingly being tilted towards the southern region, resulting in deepening poverty and insecurity across the North.
He lamented the deplorable condition of federal roads in the northern states, recounting how a cancelled flight forced him to travel by road from Abuja to Kano via Kaduna—a journey he described as “hell” due to the poor road conditions.
However, Afenifere, in a statement issued by the National Organising Secretary of the organisation, Otunba Kole Omololu, said Kwankwaso’s statement “stokes regional tension and paints a false picture of deliberate southern favouritism.”
According to the organisation, “Kwankwaso’s alarmist rhetoric is not only unfair but also deeply dangerous.”
Afenifere noted that development is a gradual process, and President Tinubu had not yet reached the halfway mark of his term.
The organisation also described Kwankwaso’s statement as “not only grossly misleading but also deliberately incendiary.”
The statement reads: “As a former governor and minister, one would expect Senator Kwankwaso to speak with facts, not emotions laced with sectional bias.
“It must be stated unequivocally that no region in Nigeria has benefited more from concentrated federal presence in the past decade than the North. During the Buhari administration—a northern presidency which Senator Kwankwaso conveniently omits—critical national resources were disproportionately channeled to the North.
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“The World Bank Managing Director publicly disclosed that President Buhari specifically directed the institution to focus its interventions in northern Nigeria. Where was Kwankwaso’s voice for equity and fairness then?
“Road and rail infrastructure were overwhelmingly skewed. The Kano-Maradi railway, constructed deep into the Niger Republic with no economic significance to Nigeria, was completed under Buhari.
“Was this done for national integration or to aid cross-border movement of Fulani kinsmen? Meanwhile, under the same regime, the hell in which the senator travelled was not turned into heaven; the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, started by President Jonathan and designed to reach Iwo Junction, remained uncompleted.
“The Second Niger Bridge was still pending upon Buhari’s exit after eight years in office.
“Less than two years into President Tinubu’s administration, Kwankwaso is crying foul. Perhaps he is unaware that critical road projects have been initiated and awarded across the North, including the dualisation of the Kano-Maiduguri Road, Sokoto-Tambuwal-Jega Road, and the Abuja-Keffi-Lafia corridor.
“The Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) gas pipeline, neglected by past regimes, is being fast-tracked. Just weeks ago, President Tinubu approved billions for critical infrastructure in Katsina, Borno, and Niger States. By 2027, and indeed by 2031, every region, including the North, will feel the impact of this administration.”
Afenifere, however, urged the former governor to rise above ethnic saboteurs and sectional agitators masquerading as patriots.
The organisation said, “Let statesmen, not ethnic lords, shape the conversation.”
Tinubu govt executing 40 major projects in North – Presidency
News
Akpabio sues Natasha for ₦200bn over sexual harassment allegations
Akpabio sues Natasha for ₦200bn over sexual harassment allegations
Senate President Godswill Obot Akpabio has instituted a ₦200 billion defamation lawsuit against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, accusing her of spreading malicious sexual harassment allegations that he says have severely damaged his public image.
According to documents filed before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Akpabio is seeking substantial damages, public retractions, and nationwide broadcast apologies. He argues that Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s televised, radio, and online interviews portrayed him as a sexual predator who abused his office for personal gratification—claims he insists subjected him to widespread ridicule and reputational harm.
The lawsuit includes a comprehensive statement of claims and a list of witnesses. Akpabio is also asking the court to compel the removal of all online materials containing the disputed allegations and to order repeated public apologies across major media outlets.
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A court order issued on 6 November 2025 granted permission for substituted service through the Clerk of the National Assembly after initial attempts to reach Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan directly were unsuccessful. The case is now moving forward and is expected to become one of the most closely watched political legal battles in Nigeria.
Responding on 5 December 2025, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan confirmed receipt of the suit and expressed readiness to defend her allegations before a competent court. She stated that she had previously been prevented from presenting a petition before the Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges due to claims that a related case was already in court—an action she believes protected the Senate President from legislative scrutiny.
In a strongly worded response, the Kogi Central senator maintained that the court proceedings will finally provide the platform to substantiate her claims. She reiterated her stance that she experienced sexual harassment and that her refusal to comply with the alleged advances prompted sustained political retaliation.
“See you in court, Godswill Akpabio,” she declared.
Akpabio sues Natasha for ₦200bn over sexual harassment allegations
News
NLC threatens nationwide protests as insecurity worsens, withdraws support for Labour Party
NLC threatens nationwide protests as insecurity worsens, withdraws support for Labour Party
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has warned that it will no longer remain passive as criminal gangs intensify violent attacks across the country, declaring its readiness to hold a national day of mourning and mobilise nationwide protests over the escalating insecurity in Nigeria.
Speaking at the opening of the NLC’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Lagos, NLC President Joe Ajaero said the country was “under siege,” condemning the latest school kidnapping and the reported withdrawal of security personnel before the attack. He demanded a full investigation to expose any possible compromise within the nation’s security architecture.
“The NLC cannot stand idly by and allow criminals to take over our country—never again. We want to know who ordered the withdrawal of security operatives from that school. We will not allow kidnappers and bandits to overrun our nation,” Ajaero said.
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He stressed that the labour movement would soon announce details of the planned protests and national mourning, insisting the lives of teachers, students and workers were in grave danger. “It is getting out of hand. We can no longer bear this,” he added.
Ajaero also revealed that the NLC had withdrawn its representatives from the Labour Party, accusing them of pursuing personal interests rather than representing workers.
Human rights lawyer Femi Falana, SAN, who addressed the meeting, warned that the country was in “serious trouble” over rising kidnappings and attacks. He rejected calls for foreign military intervention, cautioning that such a move would undermine Nigeria’s sovereignty.
Falana criticised recent statements by former U.S. President Donald Trump, describing them as unacceptable. He urged President Bola Tinubu to take decisive action to protect citizens, saying: “We want to let the world know that we are not a conquered people.”
He called on labour unions, civil society organisations and Nigerians to prepare to resist any further decline in national security.
NLC threatens nationwide protests as insecurity worsens, withdraws support for Labour Party
News
Boris Johnson Hails Kemi Badenoch as “Future UK Prime Minister” During Visit to Nigeria
Boris Johnson Hails Kemi Badenoch as “Future UK Prime Minister” During Visit to Nigeria
Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has praised UK Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch, describing her as a “future Prime Minister of the United Kingdom” during his visit to Nigeria for the Imo State Economic Summit 2025.
Speaking in Owerri, Imo State, on Thursday, Johnson commended Governor Hope Uzodimma for his efforts to boost economic development and improve security, noting that he felt “perfectly safe” despite earlier warnings about Nigeria’s security situation.
Johnson highlighted the state government’s push to deliver 24-hour electricity, stressing that reliable power and clean, sustainable energy are essential for economic growth as the world moves into an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven future.
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He also emphasized the strong historical and economic ties between Nigeria and the United Kingdom, praising the exchange of goods, services, and highly skilled professionals between both countries.
In a humorous remark that sparked applause, Johnson said: “We send you former UK prime ministers, and you send us future UK prime ministers in the form of Kemi Badenoch.”
The summit, attended by Vice President Kashim Shettima, former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, business mogul Aliko Dangote, and other top government and private-sector leaders, focused on strategies to accelerate Imo State’s economic transformation.
Boris Johnson Hails Kemi Badenoch as “Future UK Prime Minister” During Visit to Nigeria
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