Umahi refutes Kwankwaso’s claim of Northern marginalisation in road projects

By Kunle Sanni –

The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has dismissed allegations by Rabiu Kwankwaso accusing the administration of President Bola Tinubu of marginalising Northern Nigeria in road infrastructure development.

Umahi in a statement made public on Friday, described the claims as “false, misleading, and self-serving,” insisting that the government has demonstrated fairness in the distribution of road projects nationwide.

Highlighting major initiatives, Umahi listed four key “legacy projects” under the Tinubu administration. These include the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway in the South (175km) and the Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway in the North (378km). Others are the Trans Sahara Road in Ebonyi State (118km) and the redesign of the Akwanga-Jos-Bauchi-Gombe Road in the North.

According to the Minister, these projects are fairly distributed, with 52% of their total scope allocated to the North and 48% to the South. He said this demonstrates the administration’s commitment to balanced national development.

Umahi also highlighted several multi-billion-naira projects currently ongoing in the North. These include the dualised Sokoto-Zamfara-Katsina-Kaduna road (275km, ₦824 billion) and the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano road (350km, ₦764 billion).

Other major northern projects include the 256km BUA Tax Credit Road in the Jigawa-Katsina-Kano corridor and the 49km Kano Northern Bypass. Additional road works are ongoing in Borno, Kebbi, Benue, and Kogi states.

In the South, the Minister mentioned the completed Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, the Lagos-Sagamu and Oyo-Ogbomoso-Ilorin roads, and ongoing bridge repairs, including the Carter Bridge, Third Mainland Bridge, and Eko Bridge. He added that more projects are ongoing in the South-East and South-South regions.

Umahi announced that the ministry will publish a comprehensive list of all federal road projects exceeding ₦20 billion next week. He said this would ensure transparency and allow Nigerians to verify the equitable spread of infrastructure. “Senator Kwankwaso’s statement is divisive and misleading. I challenge him to a public debate to set the records straight.”