The Presidency has explained that President Bola Tinubu’s infrastructure projects, particularly road developments, appear to be concentrated in the South due to economic factors rather than regional favouritism.
This clarification was made by the Senior Special Adviser to the President on Print Media, Abdulaziz Abdulaziz, during an appearance on Channels Television on Monday.
He was responding to accusations by former Kano State Governor and NNPP presidential candidate, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, who claimed the North was being sidelined in the current administration’s infrastructure plans.
Abdulaziz dismissed the claims, insisting that all projects undertaken by the Tinubu administration are based on national interest and economic value. “We should look at things as national projects and not as northern or southern projects, which is a major problem,” he said.
He stressed that what matters most is the benefit these projects bring to Nigerians, not their geographic location. “The most important thing is what value the projects bring and not because they are sited in the North or the South. What are the economic benefits of these roads?” he added.
The presidential aide also rejected suggestions of regional bias. “Of course, there is the need for justice, there is the need for fairness, which I am sure nobody could accuse this government of being unfair to the North or being unfair to the South because projects are being sited equally,” he stated.
On claims that the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano expressway had been abandoned, Abdulaziz clarified that construction is still ongoing and that the project remains a critical part of the national road network.
He also pointed to the ongoing Sokoto-Badagry Road, describing it as “equivalent to the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road” in the South.