The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has strongly criticised the Tinubu administration for excluding Northern Nigeria from key infrastructure projects, describing it as unacceptable and a threat to national unity.
In an issued statement signed by NEF spokesperson, Prof. Abubakar Jika Jiddere, the group accused the federal government of disproportionately allocating infrastructure funds to Southern Nigeria, while major roads and rail lines in the North remain neglected—especially in the North East, the region most affected by insecurity and underdevelopment.
NEF pointed out that while projects like the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway (₦1.3 trillion) and Second Niger Bridge (₦148 billion) have received massive funding, Northern roads such as the Jalingo–Numan–Yola–Bama and Kaduna–Jos routes have been abandoned.
It also noted that some so-called Northern projects, like the Lokoja–Benin Road, merely serve Southern trade routes with no benefit to local communities.
The group also condemned the near-total collapse of railway services in the North, particularly the dormant Port Harcourt–Maiduguri line, which hasn’t functioned for over a decade. In contrast, recent rail investments have focused on Southern routes like Lagos–Ibadan and Warri–Itakpe.
The Forum issued three key demands, which include: Immediate inclusion of Northern roads and rail lines in national infrastructure plans; Public explanations from the Federal Ministry of Works and the Nigerian Railway Corporation, as well as a commitment from Northern leaders to oppose any federal budget that lacks equitable infrastructure development.
NEF concluded with a warning: “Nigeria must choose between equity and exclusion, unity and fracture. No region—especially the North—should be treated as expendable”.
