Arewa Think Tank Carpets Kwankwaso over Alleged Infrastructure Bias against North by Tinubu

* Says out of 82 Sukuk-funded road projects, 45 reside in North 

James Emejo in Abuja

A northern group, Arewa Think Tank (ATT), yesterday chided former Governor of Kano State, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, for accusing President Bola Tinubu’s administration of allegedly sidelining the North in national infrastructural development.

Kwankwaso had at a recent event, alleged that Tinubu was investing more national resources in the South, to the detriment of the Northern region.

However, reacting to the allegations by the former governor, the Convener of ATT, Muhammad Alhaji Yakubu, described Kwankwaso’s outburst against the president as an ethnic division and campaign strategy towards 2027 general elections.

He said in the view of the ATT, Tinubu was performing well alongside his Northern vice president.

Citing data from the Federal Ministry of Works, the group noted that as of late 2024, 52.48 per cent of ongoing “legacy” road projects under Tinubu, 1,414 km out of 2,735 km were located in the North, while 48 per cent are in the South.

It added that out of the 82 Sukuk-funded road projects, 45 are located the North, adding that for “260 emergency road interventions, the breakdown is 108 in the North and 98 in the South”.

Yakubu said, “Arewa Think Tank will not support any divisive statement along ethnic, religious and regional lines.

“Why didn’t a person like Kwankwaso speak out during the previous government of infrastructural deficit in the North.

“We want to advise Kwankwaso not to introduce dirty regional politicking into our national discourse because it will do nobody any good.”

According to him, “Introducing dirty regional politicking and attitude will not allow Kwankwaso to win election at the national level. He should stop this attitude.

“We have a President that is already doing very well along with a Northern Vice President that is also doing very well.

“We are all living witnesses to the Kano River Project (irrigation scheme) -large-scale integrated irrigation development in Kano State, commissioned in 2023 and operational under the current administration

“There is no need for North vs South infrastructure debate because the list of infrastructures in the North by Tinubu’s administration is inexhaustible.”

The statement added that “It is unfortunate that whenever a President occupies the seat of power, some politicians take pleasure in manipulating figures related to infrastructure, appointments, and employment, not for clarity or accountability, but to stir resentment and pit one region against the other in order to discredit the sitting government.

“From our checks we want to believe that Kwankwaso’s claim is grounded in fiction rather than fact and figure because a closer look at official data paints a strikingly different picture from his claims.”

Yakubu said, “The Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, has made it clear that projects are awarded based on technical submissions and existing commitments, not regional bias.

“At a recent FEC meeting, he disclosed that N507 billion was allocated for the Abuja-Kano Road, while just N24 billion went to a South-east project, a stark contrast to the allegations of Southern favouritism.

“Major northern infrastructure projects currently underway include: Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway, starting from Kebbi (N958 million awarded)

“Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Expressway, with multi-phase funding exceeding N777 billion. Other active corridors: Sokoto-Illela, Mararaba-Keffi, Kaduna-Jos, Zaria-Sokoto, and Abuja-Lokoja

“Rail infrastructure also tells a similar story. The Kano-Kaduna Standard-Gauge Railway is backed by China’s Development Bank, injecting $255 million into a previously secured $973 million loan to connect the North to Abuja and improve regional mobility.”

The group further stated, “Therefore, we want to say without fear or favour that Kwankwaso’s allegations are a dangerous distraction, knowing full-well that Nigerians don’t bother about fact-checking, we are quick to ride on emotions and blackmail especially the one that appeals to us. Kwankwaso’s allegations further risk inflaming regional tensions unnecessarily.

“There is no doubt, the North enjoys a slight edge in ongoing infrastructure projects both by number and geographical spread. So, for anyone to say otherwise without facts is not only disservice to the government of the day, but deeply irresponsible, especially from someone aspiring to lead the nation.”

AAT stressed that Kwankwaso’s statements were capable of exploiting public emotions, especially among citizens who may not have access to the real data. 

“Worse still, they perpetuate a harmful “North vs South” narrative that Nigeria desperately needs to move beyond.

“It appears annoying for the fact that, the North has held power longer than any other region since independence,” it added.

Yusuf said, “Yet, widespread issues like low literacy, poor infrastructure, and youth unemployment remain largely unaddressed, without the people blaming their sons who were at the helm of affairs in the country.

“The people from the region did not protest when northern-led administrations failed to close these gaps. We advise that it is time to shift focus from ethnic grievance to developmental accountability regardless of whoever is in power to lead our dear country.

“If we must speak of equity, let’s do so with evidence not emotion. Playing the regional card without data only deepens division and discord among citizenry.”