KANO, Nigeria – Former Kano State Governor and political leader, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration of favouring the southern region of Nigeria over the north in the distribution of national resources.
Kwankwaso made these remarks on Thursday during a public hearing on constitutional review organized by the Kano State Government.
Speaking passionately at the event, Kwankwaso said that the federal government under Tinubu is tilting most of the national budget toward one part of the country — the South — while the North continues to suffer from poor infrastructure and underdevelopment.
“From the information available to us, it is like most of the national budget is now tilting in one direction in this country,” Kwankwaso said. “Those struggling to take everything should remember that the issues we face in this region today are caused by the lack of resources and mismanagement of what little we have.”
He pointed out the poor condition of road networks in the North, especially between Abuja, Kaduna, and Kano, which he described as “terrible and very bad.” He shared his personal experience of travelling by road after his flight was delayed, saying the journey was “hellish.”
While he supported infrastructural projects in all parts of Nigeria, Kwankwaso criticized what he sees as an imbalance in project locations.
“We support infrastructure anywhere in this country and any other thing that is good for the masses,” he said. “But a situation where government is taking our resources and dumping them in one part of the country, leaving other parts behind, is not the right thing to do.”
He called on the federal government to take steps to reassure northern Nigerians that they are being treated fairly and to ensure a more balanced and inclusive approach to governance and national development.
Adding to the criticism, the Arewa Economic Forum (AEF) — a northern advocacy group — also accused the Tinubu administration of nepotism, claiming that key positions in the finance and ICT sectors are being dominated by individuals from the South-West, especially Lagos State.
The AEF said these sectors are vital to Nigeria’s economic growth and should reflect the country’s diversity.
This rising concern from northern leaders and groups highlights the growing tension over resource distribution and federal appointments — an issue that may influence future political conversations and decisions in Nigeria.
