The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has raised concerns over the alleged marginalisation of Northern Nigeria in federal budget allocations and infrastructure development under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Speaking at a two-day citizen engagement forum organised by the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation in Kaduna on Tuesday, Alhaji Bashir M. Dalhatu, Wazirin Dutse and Chairman of the ACF Board of Trustees, claimed that the region has been sidelined in critical policy decisions and project implementation despite what it called its significant electoral support for the president in the 2023 general elections.
The event, themed; ‘Assessing Electoral Promises: Fostering Government-Citizens’ Engagement for National Unity,” brought together governors, top federal government officials, including ministers, traditional rulers, and members of civil society.
According to the organisers, the meeting aimed to strengthen inclusive governance by facilitating structured dialogue between policymakers and citizens across Northern Nigeria.
Sources, who spoke to Daily Trust, said the federal government may have partnered with the foundation to highlight the achievements of President Tinubu administration in the North, amid complaints from several quarters within the region over alleged marginalisation. This, according to the sources, is evidenced by the array of the president’s appointees and members of the ruling party who were present at the event.
The event had in attendance a representative of Vice President Kashim Shettima; George Akume, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF); Nuhu Ribadu, National Security Adviser; Governors AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq (Kwara); Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya (Gombe) and Uba Sani (Kaduna).
Ministers at the event included Badaru Abubakar, Minister of Defence; Bello Matawalle, Minister of State for Defence; Mohammed Idris, Minister of Information; Muhammad Bello Goronyo, Minister of State for Works; Yusuf Abdullahi Ata, the Minister of State, Housing and Urban Development; Mariya Mahmoud Bunkure, Minister of State, FCT.
Also in attendance were the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa, Chief of Air Staff, Hassan Abubakar and Comptroller General of the Nigerian Immigration Service, Kemi Nandap.
Former governors at the event included; Ramalan Yero (Kaduna), Aliyu Shinkafi (Zamfara), Ibrahim Shekarau (Kano) and Babangida Aliyu (Niger) among others.
Brief on the organiser; Sir Ahmadu Bello Foundation
The Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation was established in 2009 by the 19 Northern state governors, in collaboration with associates and family members of Sir Ahmadu Bello, the late Premier of the Northern Region and Sardauna of Sokoto.
Its mission is to preserve and promote the ideals, values, and legacies of Sir Ahmadu Bello, particularly in areas such as education and leadership development, good governance and transparency, health and agriculture, entrepreneurship and peace building and religious and ethnic tolerance.
The foundation is headquartered in Kaduna, Nigeria, and operates as an Incorporated Trustee under registration number IT-30957.
Key initiatives include scholarships to 200 students from the 19 Northern states and the FCT, focusing on science and technology disciplines, Health Outreach, Agricultural Empowerment, Vocational Training and Annual Memorial Lecture.
The foundation’s board of trustees is composed of Northern leaders, academics, traditional leaders, and civil society advocates, including Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, former governor of Niger State (chairman), Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau (Former Kano State governor) and Dr. Abubakar Gambo Umar (Director-General & CEO).
We’re marginalised – Dalhatu
The ACF leader, Alhaji Bashir Dalhatu, noted that the North, which delivered over 64% of President Tinubu’s total votes, has been ‘largely excluded’ from key governance processes.
His remarks echoed earlier criticisms from northern political figures who accused the administration of favouring the South in both federal appointments and major infrastructural developments.
The ACF Board of Trustees chair said the North, which contributed over 64% of President Tinubu’s total votes in the 2023 general elections, has been largely excluded from critical policy decisions and project implementation.
‘Two years into President Tinubu’s four-year tenure, the feeling among the people of the North is, to put it mildly, completely mixed.
‘To our surprise, those who did not support him, did not vote for him, and hardly wished him well have emerged from nowhere and are now attempting to drive a wedge between him and the North’, Dalhatu said.
Dalhatu cited federal budget figures to underscore the region’s alleged neglect, saying ‘For instance, of the N1.013 trillion allocated to roads in the current federal budget, only N24 billion — less than 1% — was earmarked for projects in the North East’.
Referencing a May 2025 press release from the Federal Ministry of Works, he added: ‘The regional breakdown is telling — South West received N1.394 trillion, South East, N205 billion, North West, N105 billion, and North East, just N30 billion. Sadly, this discriminatory practice is not hidden — it is now done openly, without apology’.
The ACF chairman decried what he called the lack of progress on strategic northern infrastructure projects, citing neglect in roads, railways, power supply, and agriculture.
‘Unlike the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway or the Second Niger Bridge, not a single road of strategic importance to the North has been completed or properly maintained in the last twenty years’, he said.
Alhaji Bashir also criticised the federal government’s low budgetary allocation to agriculture despite Northern Nigeria’s critical role in national food and livestock production.
‘Despite the apparent goodwill of President Tinubu administration, budgetary allocations to agriculture remain under 5%, far below the 25% recommended by the FAO’, he said.
He called on the president to urgently review his development priorities, fast-track key infrastructure like the Mambilla Hydroelectric Dam, Baro Inland Port, and Ajaokuta Steel Mill, and address what he described as ‘open marginalisation’, of the region.
‘President Tinubu should be persuaded to declare a state of emergency in the electricity sector. Without adequate power infrastructure, the North doesn’t stand a dog’s chance of economic development’, he said.
Dalhatu stressed the need for sustained dialogue between the federal government and Northern leaders.
‘We commend today’s interactive conference. Many of these issues were raised during our visit to the president on 30 May 2024. Unfortunately, the ACF-FGN Contact Committee proposed at that meeting is yet to take off’, he said.
