NEF accuses FG of marginalizing Northern Nigeria in infrastructure spending
By Kunle Sanni
The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has accused the Federal Government of systematically excluding Northern Nigeria—especially the North East—from recent infrastructure allocations, calling the imbalance a threat to national unity that requires urgent correction.
In a statement by its spokesperson, Professor Abubakar Jika Jiddere, NEF criticized the disbursement of funds for key road and rail projects, citing what it described as a “grave regional imbalance” that favors the South at the expense of the North.
NEF highlighted the ₦1.344 trillion Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway and the ₦470.9 billion allocation for the Delta State section as examples of heavy southern investment, contrasting them with what it called “tokenistic” allocations for the North, such as ₦252 billion for the Abuja–Kano Expressway and ₦18 billion for the Wusasa–Jos Road.
The group voiced particular concern over the complete exclusion of the North East from current federal road projects, despite its struggles with terrorism and underdevelopment. NEF pointed to neglected routes like the Jalingo–Numan–Yola–Bama highway and the Bauchi–Gombe road as critical arteries in dire need of attention.
NEF also lamented the collapse of the Northern rail system, noting the inactivity of the Port Harcourt–Maiduguri Eastern rail line, which once played a vital role in connecting the region. Meanwhile, modern rail projects are actively being developed in Southern Nigeria.
“The disparity is not just glaring—it is dangerous,” the Forum said. “Why has the Nigerian Railway Corporation allowed the Northern rail network to collapse while prioritizing projects in the South?”
The Forum demanded the immediate inclusion of the North East in the federal infrastructure development agenda and urged Northern lawmakers, governors, and federal appointees to reject any future budgets that fail to provide equitable infrastructure distribution.
NEF also called on the Federal Ministry of Works and the Nigerian Railway Corporation to publicly explain the current disparities and present a clear plan to rehabilitate neglected road and rail infrastructure in the North.
