ACF Alleged North Marginalised In Budget Allocation, Infrastructure Under Tinubu
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The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has alleged that the northern region is being marginalised in federal budget allocations and infrastructure development under the administration of President Bola\u00a0 Tinubu.<\/strong><\/p>\n The Chairman of the ACF Board of Trustees, Bashir Dalhatu,\u00a0 who claimed during a presentation at a two-day interactive session on government-citizen engagement organised by the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation in Kaduna state, said that the north has been sidelined in key policy decisions and project implementation,\u00a0 despite the region\u2019s huge support for President Tinubu <\/a>in the 2023 general elections.<\/p>\n To underscore marginalisation of Northern Nigeria by the Tinubu <\/a>administration,\u00a0 the ACF leader cited the federal budget figures where out of the N1.013 trillion allocated to road projects in the 2025 budget,\u00a0 only N24 billion,\u00a0 less than one per cent, was earmarked for road projects in the Northeast.<\/p>\n \u201d In addition to its natural disadvantages,\u00a0 Northern Nigeria also suffers from age-old neglect by the federal government in relation to the development of transportation infrastructure in the country.<\/p>\n \u201cUnlike the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and the Second Niger Bridge,\u00a0 not one single road of strategic importance to the North has been completed or even properly maintained in the last twenty years. For example,\u00a0 this year\u2019s federal budget for roads is N1.013 trillion. But of that,\u00a0 a mere N24 billion (or less than 1 %) was allocated to projects in the Northeast.\u00a0 It is important to invite the attention of the President to start,\u00a0 re-start, expedite or complete the construction of the major roads that are of great strategic importance to Northern Nigeria, which include the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano,\u00a0Ilorin- Jebba- Tegina- B\/Gwari- Kaduna, Abuja- Lokoja- Okene- Auchi, Zaria- Funtua- Gusau- Sokoto- Ilela, Keffi- Akwanga- Jos- Bauchi- Gombe- Yola, Calabar- Ogoja- Wukari- Numan- Biu- Maiduguri and\u00a0 Wudil- Kafin Hausa- Katagum-Potiskum roads among others.\u201d<\/p>\n Citing a press release from the federal Ministry of Works in May 2025, the ACF leader criticised the regional breakdown of the budget allocations, which he noted was skewed against Northern Nigeria.<\/p>\n \u201cEvidence of this regrettable situation abounds everywhere, but I will cite as an example the press statement published by the Federal Ministry of Works on the 5th of May, 2025: Southwest\u00a0\u00a0 \u2013\u00a0 N1.394 trillion, Southeast- N205 billion, Northwest- N105 billion, Northeast \u2013 N30\u00a0 billion.<\/p>\n \u201d Sadly, these days, this discriminatory practice is not done secretly; no, it is splashed directly into our face \u2013 openly and frankly and without apology\u201d.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The ACF leader also criticised the federal government\u2019s poor allocation to agriculture despite northern Nigeria\u2019s position as the nation\u2019s food basket.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Northern states provide over 75% of Nigeria\u2019s landmass and own\u00a0 95% of the livestock industry. When agriculture remains one of the more neglected sectors in the economy, it is a cause for great concern in the North. Despite the apparent good intentions of the Tinubu <\/a>administration, the federal government\u2019s allocation to agriculture in the last two years remains below 5% of the total budget. The target set by the FAO is at least 25%.<\/p>\n \u201cFederal budgetary allocation to agriculture and food security should be scaled up to at least 20% of the total.<\/p>\n \u201cThat way, the government could expand its support to farmers. Providing tractors and other mechanical equipment to farmers at subsidised prices, being done at the moment, is an example of a good and helpful policy\u201d.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n