The Federal Government has dismissed insinuations of bias and imbalance in the distribution of federal projects and appointments, stressing that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been fair to all sections of Nigeria since assuming office.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, in a statement on Sunday, August 31, 2025, insisted that Tinubu’s administration has been guided by fairness, justice, and equity in handling federal government programmes, projects, and opportunities.
“Contrary to the perception being pushed in some quarters, this administration has demonstrated uncommon commitment to balanced development and inclusivity since assuming office. The distribution of capital projects under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is equitable. No region is playing a second fiddle or ignored,” Idris said.
According to him, every geopolitical zone is benefitting from the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda, with various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies, as well as Regional Development Commissions, spearheading infrastructural interventions across the country.
He highlighted two major flagship road projects—the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway traversing the South and the Badagry–Sokoto Highway cutting across the North—as examples of the administration’s sense of balance.
Idris further disclosed that the government has secured funding for light rail projects in Kano and Kaduna states amounting to ₦150 billion and ₦100 billion respectively, while Lagos and Ogun States are also benefitting from metroline expansion. He added that collectively, these projects will create over 250,000 jobs nationwide.
The minister also announced renewed attention to the rehabilitation of the Eastern Corridor rail line from Port Harcourt to Maiduguri, as well as the rehabilitation of over 1,000 primary health centres across the country, which he said underscored Tinubu’s commitment to human capital and social development.
Breakdown of Project Distribution
From verifiable data, Idris revealed that the Northwest has been the biggest beneficiary of capital projects so far:
- Northwest: ₦5.97 trillion (over 40% of approvals)
- South South: ₦2.41 trillion
- North Central: ₦1.13 trillion
- South East: ₦407 billion
- North East: ₦400 billion
- South West (excluding Lagos): ₦604 billion
Legacy Road Projects under President Tinubu include:
- Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway (750 km): 175 km ongoing in Lagos, Cross River, and Akwa Ibom States.
- Sokoto–Badagry Superhighway (1,068 km): 378 km ongoing in Kebbi and Sokoto sections.
- Trans-Sahara Highway (465 km): 118 km ongoing in Ebonyi State.
- Akwanga–Jos–Bauchi–Gombe Road (439 km): Being redesigned from flexible to rigid pavement for durability.
He explained that out of the total length of these projects, the North accounts for 52% and the South 48%, which, according to him, further demonstrates equity.
Major Projects in the North:
- Sokoto–Gusau–Funtua–Zaria Road (275 km dualised, ₦824bn)
- Abuja–Kaduna–Kano Road (350 km dualised, ₦764bn)
- BUA Tax Credit Road in Jigawa, Katsina, Kano (256 km dualised)
- Zaria–Hunkuyi Road (156 km)
- Kano Northern Bypass (49 km)
- Kano–Maiduguri Road (100.9 km)
- Bama and Dikwa Roads in Borno (100 km)
- Damaturu–Maiduguri Road (110 km)
- Malando Road in Kebbi (76 km)
- Benue–9th Mile Road (250 km dualised, $958m)
- Lokoja–Okene Dualisation (86 km)
- Kaduna–Katsina Roads (Sections 1 and 2, ₦150bn)
Major Projects in the South:
- Lagos–Ibadan (8.5 km, ₦33bn)
- Lagos–Sagamu (12 km dualised)
- Oyo–Ogbomoso–Ilorin (₦146bn)
- Rehabilitation of Carter, Third Mainland, and Eko Bridges (₦120bn)
South East Projects:
- Enugu–Onitsha Road (107 km, ₦202bn via MTN Tax Credit)
- Enugu–Onitsha Road (72 km, ₦150bn via CBC)
- Enugu–Abakaliki Road (36 km)
- 2nd Niger Bridge Access Road (17.5 km dualised, ₦175bn)
- Lokpanta–Enugu Road (61 km dualised, ₦100bn)
South South Projects:
- Eleme–Onne Road (30 km, ₦156bn)
- Eket Bypass (9.7 km dualised, ₦76bn)
- East–West Road Section 2 (₦186bn)
- Nembe–Brass Road (₦150bn)
- Lokoja–Benin Dualisation (₦167bn)
- 2nd Niger Bridge Access Road in Delta (17 km dualised, ₦146bn)
- Bodo–Bonny Road in Rivers (35 km with 12 bridges, ₦200bn)
Beyond roads, Idris listed the revival of the 255MW Kaduna Power Plant, the AKK Gas Project, and oil exploration in the Kolmani region of Bauchi and Gombe States as key energy sector interventions. He said the Kano–Maradi rail line, which was inherited at 5% completion, has now reached 67% with massive funding from the Tinubu government.
“President Tinubu is building national infrastructure, not local trophies. Lagos is rightly upgraded as Nigeria’s commercial hub, but the Northwest holds the lion’s share of approvals. This proves that all regions are receiving fair consideration,” Idris stressed.
The minister also emphasized that fairness is evident in appointments, noting that the President has been deliberate in ensuring competence and inclusivity in his choices.
He said inclusivity lies at the heart of the Renewed Hope Agenda, pointing to the establishment of five new Regional Development Commissions and the creation of the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development as examples of Tinubu’s commitment to national equity.
“On the whole, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has not only kept faith with Nigerians but has proven himself to be a fair, pragmatic, and consequential reformer. His leadership is inclusive, his vision is unifying, and his commitment to equity and justice is unwavering. Nigerians can rest assured that under his watch, no part of this country will be left behind,” Idris concluded.
