The North is not marginalised in the distribution of federal projects, the Presidency said on Sunday evening.
It described President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as ‘president of all,’ a statesman, nationalist, patriot and caring leader who sees the entire country as his constituency.
According to the Presidency, the report on marginalisation of the North is faulty, stressing that the distribution of the projects has mobilised the region in the spirit of equity, fairness and justice.
Presidential Adviser on Media and Public Communications Sunday Dare, who reacted to the recent headline in ‘Daily Trust’: ‘In Two Year, Lagos Gets N3.9 Trillion Projects,’ berated the medium for sensationalism, lack of accuracy and distortions.
He said in a statement titled: ‘Why Lagos? Yes Lagos (And Abuja too). The North is mobilised, not marginalised,’ that the distortions were weaponised to inflame passion and incite the region against the administration instead of offering objective information.
The newspaper’s report trailed earlier speculations by opposition elements that the North was marginalised in the distribution of political and public service appointments, which were debunked with facts.
Also, the latest subjective report was released at a time the Northern Governors’ Forum, led by Gombe State Governor Inuwa Yahaya, praised the Federal Government for fighting the infrastructure battle in the region with much vigour and commitment.
Dare explained that the federal government also focussed on the development of Lagos as the economic nerve centre and Abuja as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in national interest.
Dismissing the report as a product of lazy journalism, he said “numbers without context are not facts,” adding that “they are distortions weaponised to inflame rather than inform.”
He said responsible journalism requires rigour and propaganda should be seperated from reporting in the “inescapable duty of media practice.”
Dare stressed, “The attempt to portray Lagos as over-pampered while casting the North as neglected is not just misleading; it is lazy journalism.
“The truth is more complex, more national, and more honest. President Bola Tinubu is not just a statesman, he is a nationalist and a President for all.”
The presidential aide insisted that Northern Nigeria is mobilized and not marginalized, pointing out that half of the infrastructure and agricultural investments in 2024 and 2025 budgets went to the region.
Dare added, “Let’s start with the North. Far from being abandoned, it anchors over half of the capital budgets for 2024 and 2025 when you account for trunk infrastructure and agricultural investments.”
Reeling out vital statistics, the media adviser listed the on-going capital projects in the region.
These are: Abuja–Kano Expressway dualization, ₦12.1 trillion Sokoto–Badagry Superhighway; (₦3.63 trillion already approved for rollout in Sokoto and Kebbi), Kano–Maradi Railway and the Zungeru–Kano Power Line, Funtua and Bauchi Inland Dry Ports, and Airport upgrades in Katsina, Maiduguri, and Kaduna.
“Add to this massive funding for the Sokoto-Rima, Upper Benue, Hadejia-Jama’are, and Lower Niger River Basins; and food-security anchors like Special Agro-Processing Zones in Borno, Kaduna, and Kebbi, and wheat development in Jigawa and Kano. This is not marginalization. It is mobilization.”
Dare, who wondered why some critics are fixated on Lagos in the distribution of infrastructural projects, said they tended to neglect the patriotic motivation and reality.
He described Lagos as a melting hub, which hosts Nigerians from all the states of the federation and shoulders enormous national responsibilities.
He said: “What did Lagos receive in 2013–2015? Or 2021–2023? Without period-over-period comparisons—adjusted for inflation, exchange rates, and statutory revenue outturns—any single number is meaningless.
“Lagos is not just a state. It is Africa’s second-largest city economy, with over 23 million residents and hundreds of thousands more arriving every year.
“Every Nigerian ethnicity is represented in Lagos. It is Nigeria in microcosm—a great melting pot straining under infrastructure loads no other state faces.”
Dare also defended the continuous investments in Abuja infrastructural development, saying that Lagos and FCT should be developed simultaneously.
He added: “Abuja is becoming the same; one of Africa’s fastest-growing cities, projected to exceed 7 million people by 2030. As the federal capital, it carries the daily weight of the civil service, the diplomatic corps, and a booming private sector.
“That is why President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has given extra care to both Lagos and Abuja. Not as favoritism, but as strategy. When these two urban giants work, Nigeria breathes easier. When they fail, the whole country suffers.”
The presidential adviser relected on the strategy of “planning continuity,” emphasising that “no project begins or ends in a single election cycle.”
He said: “What Lagos and Abuja receive today flows from the ERGP (2017–2020), the ESP (2020) during COVID-19, and the NDP (2021–2025). The forthcoming Renewed Hope Plan (2026–2030) will build on them.”
Dare drew attention to the import of mega cities, which Abuja and Lagos typify, saying that they deserve support.
Drawing attention to the global practice of giving “mega support” to mega cities by citing the example of United States and South Africa, he said “national development is a continuum, not an accident.”
Dare added: “New York City receives tens of billions in annual federal transfers, covering housing, health, education, and transport. In FY 2022, New York State and City received $117.5 billion in federal support.
“Johannesburg/Gauteng generates one-third of South Africa’s GDP. Its 2025/26 provincial budget tops R172 billion, aligned with federal transport and housing priorities.
“If New York and Johannesburg receive proportional federal support because of their scale, why should Lagos and Abuja be treated differently?”
Dare dismissed the insinuations that investments in Lagos and smacked of favouritism, stressing that much benefits would acrue to the country in the process.
He said, “Why Lagos? Why Abuja? Because Lagos is Nigeria’s economic lifeblood.
Because Abuja is its political and diplomatic heartbeat. Because both cities carry the daily weight of the federation—demographically, economically, and symbolically.
“Investing in Lagos and Abuja is not favoritism. It is statecraft. In the U.S. and South Africa, city-economies like New York and Johannesburg receive federal resources reflective of their burdens. Lagos and Abuja, which together anchor Nigeria’s survival, deserve no less.
“The real question is not “Why Lagos?” or “Why Abuja?” The real question is: What happens to Nigeria if Lagos and Abuja are ignored?”