The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has accused the federal government of marginalizing Northern Nigeria in the allocation of capital projects, particularly in road and railway development.
In a statement released, NEF spokesperson Professor Abubakar Jika Jiddere described the distribution of infrastructure funding as “lopsided,” warning that continued neglect of the region could threaten national unity.
The forum pointed to massive investments in southern projects such as the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway, which received ₦1.34 trillion, and the Second Niger Bridge, with ₦148 billion in funding. In contrast, they cited what they termed as “token” allocations to Northern projects like the Abuja–Kano Expressway (₦252 billion) and the Wusasa–Jos Road (₦18 billion).
NEF also highlighted the total neglect of key roads in the North East, including the Jalingo–Numan–Yola–Bama and Bauchi–Gombe highways. They expressed concern over the deteriorating rail infrastructure in the region, singling out the dormant Port Harcourt–Maiduguri Eastern Rail Line, which has remained inactive for over a decade, while modern rail initiatives have been concentrated in 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,” NEF stated. “It deepens inequality, fuels regional resentment, and endangers the unity of the Republic.”
The group called for the immediate 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 imbalance.