Nigeria’s Information Minister Muhammad Idris said on Sunday that President Bola Tinubu’s government has ensured fairness and balance in the distribution of federal projects, appointments and opportunities across the country’s six geopolitical zones.
“Contrary to the perception being pushed in some quarters, this administration has demonstrated an uncommon commitment to balanced development and inclusivity,” Idris told journalists in Abuja.
He dismissed what he called “insinuations, half-truths, and fake information,” stressing that “no region has been sidelined or treated as secondary.”
The minister pointed to the establishment of new Regional Development Commissions, along with infrastructure projects spread across the country. He cited the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway and the Badagry–Sokoto Superhighway as examples of efforts to achieve geographic balance.
According to Idris, federal capital projects are split 52% in the North and 48% in the South. He said funding of ₦150 billion and ₦100 billion had been secured for light rail systems in Kano and Kaduna, alongside metro developments in Lagos and Ogun States, with the combined projects expected to generate more than 250,000 jobs.
He listed allocations by region as: North-West ₦5.97 trillion, South-South ₦2.41 trillion, North-Central ₦1.13 trillion, South-West (excluding Lagos) ₦604 billion, South-East ₦407 billion, and North-East ₦400 billion.
“The Northwest holds the lion’s share of infrastructure approvals, proving that every region is receiving fair consideration,” he said, while also noting major works in the South including the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway, Lagos–Sagamu road, and the rehabilitation of Carter, Third Mainland, and Eko Bridges.
Idris also highlighted progress on the Kano–Maradi rail line, now 67% complete compared with 5% at the start of Tinubu’s tenure, and said the government had revived the 255MW Kaduna Power Plant and advanced work on the Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano Gas Pipeline.
“President Tinubu is building national infrastructure, not local trophies,” Idris said.
He added that Tinubu had spread appointments across all regions, guided by “merit, national unity, and competence rather than sectional interests.” The creation of five Regional Development Commissions and the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, he said, showed a focus on inclusive, region-specific solutions.
“President Tinubu has not only kept faith with Nigerians but has proven himself to be a fair, pragmatic, and consequential reformer. His leadership is inclusive, his vision is unifying, and his commitment to equity and justice is unwavering,” Idris said.