By Tunde Rahman

Two years in the saddle, has President Bola Tinubu undercut the North in running the country’s affairs and distributing political appointments and infrastructure? Has he reneged on the promise to the Northern elites three years ago in Kaduna that he would run an all-inclusive government, protect the national interest and be fair to the North?

It was in a bid to answer these critical questions that governors, ministers and other top government functionaries from the Northern region converged on Arewa House, Kaduna on July 29 and 30, 2025, under the auspices of the Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation as, to present their scorecards and tell the region what they had all done for it since May 2023.

 Ultimately, the intervention by the governors and government functionaries yielded a verdict that outrightly rejected what the questions inherently suggest. They reeled out impressive strides recorded by the administration in infrastructure and security.

According to them, President Tinubu has done a lot for the North. Whatever underdevelopment in the region should not be attributed to him but to Northern leaders who neglected the area for many years.

 However, it was apparent that the motive beneath the frenzied conversation about the Tinubu administration’s achievements is not so much what the President has done–or not done–for the North regarding distribution of national offices and infrastructure.

It was, essentially, the interests of some Northern elites angling to shape political decisions and the politics of 2027 at play. As my friend, the Publisher of The Cable and former Editor of Thisday, Simon Kolawole, would say, “it’s all politics”, and this time, 2027 politics.

It’s a page from an old politics playbook: couching the political elite’s views, opinions, and interests as those of the larger society where they operate. To achieve their aim, they deploy all kinds of subterfuge, including ethnicity or religion.

Richard Sklar hints at this when he states that “tribalism is an instrument in the hands of political elites.”

This is evident in the outburst of the New Nigeria Peoples Party leader, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, who recently accused President Tinubu of marginalizing the North in infrastructure development. However, available evidence points to the contrary.

According to the Director-General, Budget Office, Dr. Tanimu Yakubu, who should know, more than half of the capital budgets for 2024 and 2025 were allocated to projects and programs in Northern Nigeria. “Contrary to politically-motivated narratives, Northern Nigeria is not on the margins; it is at the heart of federal investment priorities.

Over 50% of the capital budget for 2024 and 2025 is traceable to projects and programs in the North when major national trunk infrastructure and water basin investments are properly accounted for,” he declared

Tanimu outlined flagship projects and interventions that prove the administration’s commitment to developing the North.

These include the Abuja–Kano Expressway dualization, ₦12.1 trillion Sokoto–Badagry Superhighway, the most ambitious cross-regional road project in decades, spanning 1,068 km, costing ₦3.63 trillion, with 30% of it already approved by President Tinubu for the project’s initial rollout in Sokoto and Kebbi; Kano–Maradi Standard Gauge Railway, a Sahel trade corridor enabler; Zungeru–Kano Power Transmission Line, boosting industrial power supply; Funtua and Bauchi Inland Dry Ports for agro-export and logistics; and Expansion of Airport Runways in Katsina, Maiduguri and Kaduna.

 But first, there’s a need for recourse to Tinubu’s promise to the North before he was elected president. On October 17, 2022, Tinubu came before the Northern elite to present his agenda for the region and solicit their votes.

This was in the run-up to an election where former vice president Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party candidate in the poll, had fouled the air, fanning the embers of ethnicity, telling the North he belonged to it and was the best candidate to protect the Northern interest. There was tension in the land.

The nation’s fault lines were being toyed with. Atiku’s erstwhile presidential running mate in the 2019 election, who had become the Labour Party candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, was also unrelenting, ratcheting up ethnic and religious sentiments for his candidacy.

It was against this backdrop that Tinubu mounted the podium at the Arewa House. Tinubu and Atiku were leading other candidates in the North at the time. Thus, the North had become divided, and the atmosphere at the talks venue was charged. In a measured but purposeful tone, Tinubu told the gathering that as president, he would consolidate on the investments of the late President Buhari administration in all sectors to build on the gains recorded. He spoke of his plans to ensure that insecurity was nipped in the bud in the North and across the country, harness the resources that abound in every part of the nation for greater economic development, and utilise the country’s vast natural resources through strategic investment in infrastructure.

 Speaking specifically and cautiously on his plans for the North, he said, among other things, that the region has a comparative advantage in agriculture, and that under his presidency, the North would emerge as the hub of agribusiness in Africa through massive investment in the sector in collaboration with the private sector. “Agriculture is of special interest to me. It is both an economic and existential issue for every country. Experience in the last seven years has shown the potential of agriculture in solving the problem of unemployment and boosting our GDP,” he said.

 On his plans for education and reducing out-of-school children in the North, he said that working with both states and local governments to reform and retool the system, he would provide the required leadership and mobilise investment for the sector’s development. According to him, these reforms will give special attention to the welfare and training of teachers and lecturers as necessary catalysts for the better system the North desires.

He identified some priority roads and hydropower projects in the North that had either not been followed through on, and new ones he would introduce to aid the region’s development.

His lucid presentation and the way and manner in which he calmly but firmly responded to the questions thrown at him were pretty impressive. I know this as a fact because I was there. With that event, the North and Tinubu entered into a pact. In the 2023 presidential election results, the North voted well for Tinubu, giving him about 60% of the votes that brought him to power.

Are there gaps in what he promised the North and what he delivered to them? Has President Tinubu mistreated the North two years down the road? I do not think so! The President has kept faith with his promise. However, there is room for improvement. Ongoing projects in the North, like the Sokoto-Badagry Highway, Abuja-Kaduna-Kano reconstruction work, Mambilla Hydroelectric Dam, Baro Inland Port, and Ajaokuta Steel Mill, should be vigorously pursued.

 The views expressed at the Kaduna two-day summit titled “Assessing Electoral Promises: Fostering Government-Citizens’ Engagement for National Unity” were interesting, though admittedly mixed. The Chairman of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) Board of Trustees, Bashir Dalhatu, alleged that the Tinubu government had neglected the region, especially in its budget allocations and infrastructural development. “Two years into President Tinubu’s four-year tenure, the feeling among the people of the North is, to put it mildly, completely mixed,” he said, citing specific federal budget figures to underscore the alleged neglect.

 Some contrasting submissions offset such a grim prognosis. Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani and Governor Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State said the President is committed to fulfilling his promises to the North. At the same time, Secretary to the Government of the Federation George Akume affirmed that President Tinubu’s administration would leave no region behind. Vice President Kashim Shettima, represented by Dr. Aliyu Moddibo, his Special Adviser on General Duties, noted that the current administration’s inclusive reforms were in line with Nigerians’ economic reality.

Minister of Budget and National Planning Atiku Bagudu stated that the administration is implementing policies to transform Nigeria’s economy and fulfil the promises made to Nigerians. “The President has complete faith in Nigeria. He does not make decisions based on ethnicity or region. His government is rooted in fairness and inclusivity,” he said.

On the fight against banditry and terrorism, National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu said the Tinubu administration had made giant strides in protecting lives and properties. Ribadu said Nigerian security forces had subdued and eliminated some of the terrorist leaders, who had unleashed terror along the Kaduna-Abuja highway, making it safer for travellers. The NSA noted that the once-troubled highways from Zamfara to Katsina, Kaduna-Abuja, and Kaduna to Birnin Gwari, which were a nightmare for travellers, can now be travelled at night due to security improvements. “Politics will not allow people to credit us for all that,” he added.

In the final analysis, the Kaduna Governor gave the Northern leaders food for thought when he declared that the Northern woes should not be blamed on President Tinubu. “Yes, President Tinubu made promises. But let’s be honest: he has kept faith with the North in many critical areas – security, agriculture, education, and economic inclusion. The real question is, have we kept faith with our people as Northern leaders?”

Rahman is Senior Assistant to the President on Media & Special Duties.

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From Francis Sadhere, Delta

Two suspected armed robbers have been arrested in Ogwashi-Ukwu, Delta State, after a swift police operation foiled their criminal activities and led to the recovery of firearms, stolen motorcycles, and other valuables.

Police Public Relations Officer, Bright Edafe, said in a statement that the arrest followed a distress call received by the Ogwashi-Ukwu Police Station in the early hours of August 4, 2025.

The report indicated that armed robbers were operating along Chelsea Street in the town.

The Divisional Police Officer, Okoyomon Israel, immediately mobilised the Anti-Crime Squad in collaboration with local vigilante groups to the scene.

On sighting the operatives, the robbers attempted to flee, but two suspects — 22-year-old Thywill Selvin of Poly Road, Ogwashi-Ukwu, and 32-year-old Guntim Bako of Kwale Junction — were arrested.

Items recovered from the suspects included one pump action rifle with one live cartridge, one Beretta pistol with six live ammunition, three live assault rifle rounds, two stolen motorcycles (a Daylong motorcycle, REG NO: SAP 369 VK, and a Qlink motorcycle, REG NO: URM 750 QV), 25 mobile phones, four laptops, one tablet phone, one PS4 game console, a home theatre set, two Zealot music players, five bags of clothes, and other valuables.

Police said several victims have positively identified their stolen property.

Commissioner of Police, CP Olufemi Abaniwonda, praised the quick and professional response of the officers, noting that the operation’s success was largely due to timely information from the public.

He reiterated the command’s commitment to aggressive, intelligence-led policing aimed at ridding Delta State of criminals, and urged residents to report suspicious persons or activities promptly, stressing that early reporting is vital in preventing crime.

From Jude Dangwam, Jos

The Industrial Training Fund (ITF) has recorded a significant boost in its efforts to train and certify Nigerian artisans internationally, as City and Guilds of London (UK) has officially approved the ITF as a certified examination centre.

The Director-General of the Industrial Training Funds(ITF), Dr.

Afiz Oluwatoyin Ogun through the Head of Press and Public Relations of the Fund, Thomas Ngor made this known in a statement signed and made available to Newsmen at weekend in Jos the Plateau State capital.

He noted that the development has positioned the ITF among six other centres across Nigeria that have received similar approvals as signed by the Chief Executive Officer of City and Guilds, Kirstie Donnelly.

Dr. Ogun maintained that the approval also indicated that the ITF could conduct examinations for Level 2 Diploma in Engineering in Electrical and Electronics Technology and Maintenance Technology, Level 2 Diploma in House Keeping services, Food Preparation and Culinary Art, Foundation Certificate in Basic Electronic Engineering and Basic Plumbing.

Others include Level 2 in ICT Systems and Principles, Level 3 ICT Systems and Principles, Level 2 Diploma in Bricklaying, Level 2 IVQ in IT Systems Support and Level 3 IVQ Advanced Diploma in IT Systems support.

“The approval follows multiple visits by the examination body to ITF training facilities nationwide beginning in December 2023 soon after the inauguration of the incumbent Management in the Fund, culminating in a Train-the-Trainer workshop for 22 ITF officers who will be responsible for training trainees in the approved fields and supervising examinations.”

The DG further explained the significance of the approval thus; ”this approval is significant as it will enable Nigerian Artisans to gain internationally recognised qualifications and potentially up opportunities for jobs worldwide, thereby positively impacting the poverty and unemployment situation in the country.

“It also aligns with the ITF mission to set and evaluate Training Standards as well as provide need based Human Capital interventions in line with global best practices.

“It is also especially crucial for the Skill-Up Artisans (SUPA), which is a programme implemented by the ITF for the Federal Government to train, retrain, certify and licence Nigerian artisans to international standards.

“SUPA aims to enhance the employability of artisans both locally and internationally by providing access to internationally recognised certifications thereby fostering self-reliance”, noting that apart from City and Guilds, ITF is currently interacting with international certification bodies like Alberk QA and others for similar certification.

Dr Ogun stressed that “we believe that if our efforts come to fruition, Nigeria will become a major exporter of skilled manpower alongside countries like India, China and Indonesia, which will in turn earn Nigeria foreign exchange.

 “Already, the ITF is in communication with some Embassies and foreign missions to determine their artisanal needs to accommodate them in training under the Skill-Up Artisans Programme,” he stated