North Receives Majority of Tinubu’s Legacy Road Projects, Umahi Counters Kwankwaso’s Claims
The Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, has firmly rejected allegations by Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso that President Bola Tinubu’s administration is sidelining Northern Nigeria in favor of the South in road infrastructure development. In a detailed statement issued on Friday, Umahi provided data to demonstrate that the North is receiving a significant share of federal road projects, particularly under Tinubu’s four flagship "legacy road projects." The minister described Kwankwaso’s claims as misleading and politically motivated, urging the former Kano State governor to retract his statements and issue an apology to the president.
Umahi outlined that 52% of the legacy road projects are located in the North, while the South accounts for 48%. Among the key projects highlighted is the 1,068-kilometer Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway, with 378 kilometers currently under construction in Kebbi and Sokoto states. This project alone surpasses the 220 kilometers of ongoing work on the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway in the South, which spans Lagos, Cross River, and Akwa Ibom states. Additionally, the 275-kilometer Sokoto-Zamfara-Katsina-Kaduna road, valued at ₦824 billion, and the 350-kilometer Abuja-Kaduna-Kano dual carriageway, costing ₦764 billion, are major initiatives in the North. The Akwanga-Jos-Bauchi-Gombe road, spanning 439 kilometers, is also being redesigned for enhanced durability, further emphasizing the administration’s focus on Northern infrastructure.
The minister noted that many of these projects were inherited from the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari but had stalled due to lack of funding. Under Tinubu’s leadership, these projects have been revived with fresh financial commitments. Umahi emphasized that 80% of the ongoing Northern projects were initiated in 2023 but were dormant until the current administration prioritized their completion. He also highlighted additional projects under the BUA Tax Credit scheme and the NNPC Tax Credit program in states such as Jigawa, Katsina, Kano, Borno, Benue, and Kebbi. In Borno, for instance, multiple projects, including the Bama and Dikwa roads and a 110-kilometer ring road, are actively progressing.
In contrast, Southern projects include the completion of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, the Oyo-Ogbomoso-Ilorin road, and repairs to major bridges like the Third Mainland and Eko Bridges. However, Umahi stressed that the North’s share of road construction, measured in three-lane equivalents, totals 756 kilometers compared to 409 kilometers in the South. He accused Kwankwaso of focusing disproportionately on the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway to push a divisive narrative, ignoring the broader scope of projects across the country.
Umahi further revealed plans to publish a comprehensive list of all inherited and ongoing road projects valued above ₦20 billion next week, aiming to provide transparency and counter misinformation. He called for unity, urging Nigerians to disregard Kwankwaso’s claims and recognize Tinubu’s commitment to equitable national development. The minister’s statement was echoed by the Presidency, with Special Adviser Sunday Dare asserting that the North is well-covered by 43 federal projects across multiple sectors, including the Sokoto-Zamfara-Katsina Expressway and the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano Expressway.
Kwankwaso’s allegations were made during a stakeholders’ dialogue on the 2025 constitutional amendment in Kano, where he criticized the administration for allegedly concentrating resources in the South, exacerbating poverty and insecurity in the North. Umahi, however, dismissed these remarks as an attempt to position Kwankwaso as a defender of Northern interests, accusing him of seeking political relevance by invoking the legacy of former President Buhari.
The controversy underscores ongoing debates about regional equity in Nigeria’s infrastructure development, with Umahi’s data-driven rebuttal aiming to set the record straight. As the Tinubu administration continues to fund and execute major road projects, the minister’s forthcoming project list is expected to provide further clarity on the government’s infrastructure priorities across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
