By Jemimah Wellington, JKNewsMedia Correspondent
FAIRNESS, JUSTICE, and equity have guided the distribution of federal projects and appointments under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, the Federal Government has declared.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, issued a statement on Sunday stressing that contrary to what he described as insinuations and misinformation, all six geopolitical zones are benefitting equitably from federal initiatives.
He said the government has taken deliberate steps to ensure balance in infrastructure, appointments, and opportunities.
Idris also explained that each region now has a Regional Development Commission to drive growth alongside ongoing national projects.
He said the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway, currently advancing in Lagos, Cross River, and Akwa Ibom States, and the Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway under construction in Kebbi and Sokoto, demonstrate the administration’s balanced approach.
According to him, 52percent of legacy road projects are sited in the North and 48 per cent in the South.
The minister disclosed that infrastructure development spans highways, bridges, rail, and power projects.
He confirmed that funding has been secured for light rail projects in Kano and Kaduna worth N150 billion and N100 billion respectively, while metroline projects in Lagos and Ogun States are progressing.
Collectively, the rail projects are expected to generate over 250,000 jobs across the country.
He also announced the rehabilitation of the Eastern Corridor railway from Port Harcourt to Maiduguri and said more than 1,000 primary health care centres have been renovated nationwide.
According to the statement, data from ongoing projects show that the Northwest accounts for ₦5.97 trillion, the South-South N2.41 trillion, North-Central N1.13 trillion, South-East N407 billion, North-East N400 billion, and the South-West excluding Lagos N604 billion.
He listed major projects in the North as including the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano dualisation, the Sokoto-Gusau-Funtua-Zaria Road, the Kano Northern Bypass, and roads across Borno, Yobe, Kebbi, and Benue States.
In the South, ongoing works cover the Lagos-Ibadan Road, rehabilitation of Carter, Third Mainland, and Eko bridges, and the Oyo-Ogbomoso-Ilorin Road.
The South-East is benefitting from the Enugu-Onitsha Road and the Second Niger Bridge access roads, while the South-South has projects such as the Bodo-Bonny Road, Nembe-Brass Road, and sections of the East-West Road.
Beyond transport, the minister said the 255MW Kaduna Power Plant has been revived, the AKK Gas Project is advancing, and oil exploration is ongoing in Bauchi and Gombe States with three wells drilled in the Kolmani region.
He added that the Kano–Maradi railway line, which stood at five per cent completion, has reached 67 per cent with renewed government support.
Idris further stated that equity extends to federal appointments, which have been made across the six zones on the basis of competence and inclusivity.
He said this approach aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda, pointing to the establishment of new Regional Development Commissions and the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development as examples of government responsiveness to Nigeria’s diverse needs.
He concluded that President Tinubu’s leadership is focused on building national infrastructure rather than sectional trophies, assuring Nigerians that no part of the country would be left behind.
