The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has accused the federal government of sidelining the North in the allocation of capital projects, particularly in road and railway development, warning that continued neglect could pose a threat to national unity.
In a statement released on Thursday, NEF spokesperson, Prof. Abubakar Jiddere, described the pattern of infrastructure funding as “lopsided,” pointing to what the forum says is a stark disparity in investment between the North and South.
The forum cited the ₦1.34 trillion allocated to the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway and ₦148 billion for the Second Niger Bridge as examples of southern-focused development, while northern projects such as the Abuja–Kano Expressway received ₦252 billion, and the Wusasa–Jos Road was allocated just ₦18 billion.
NEF further highlighted the complete neglect of critical roads in the North East, including the Jalingo–Numan–Yola–Bama and Bauchi–Gombe highways.
Read also:
- 2027: Northern APC Chieftain declares Tinubu unstoppable amid attacks from Baba-Ahmed, Galadima
- Zulum hosts northern emirs to tackle insecurity in the North
- Northern Elders Forum demands justice over Edo killings
The group also decried the deteriorating state of rail infrastructure in the North, singling out the long-abandoned Port Harcourt–Maiduguri Eastern Rail Line, which has been inactive for more than a decade.
In contrast, the body noted that modern rail projects have been largely concentrated in the southern parts of the country.
“The systematic exclusion of Northern Nigeria from major infrastructure investments is not just an economic oversight, it is a national threat,” the statement read.
“It deepens inequality, fuels regional resentment, and endangers the unity of the Republic.”
NEF called for urgent corrective measures, including the inclusion of northern projects in the national infrastructure plan, a public explanation from the Ministry of Works and the Nigerian Railway Corporation, and a formal commitment from northern lawmakers to address the perceived imbalance.
