Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Bagudu, has said President Bola Tinubu has been fair to all Nigerians and particularly faithful to northern Nigeria, noting that there have been economic improvements in the region since Tinubu assumed office.
Speaking in Kaduna on Wednesday at a two-day interactive session hosted by the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation, Bagudu highlighted the administration’s impact on revenue generation, debt reduction, infrastructure, and healthcare in the North.
The event was themed, ‘Assessing Electoral Promises: Fostering Government-Citizen Engagement for National Unity’.
Bagudu addressed an audience that included over 60 northern federal political appointees, ministers, governors, and key stakeholders such as the Arewa Consultative Forum.
He asserted that President Tinubu’s economic reforms, though tough, had more than doubled revenue allocations to states and significantly reduced their debt burden.
He explained that statutory revenue and VAT allocations to states rose from N458.81 billion in May 2023 to N991.81 billion in June 2025 — a 116.17% increase across the federation.
He attributed this surge to the removal of the fuel subsidy, which he described as a bold but necessary decision that freed up trillions of naira for national development.
“By ending the fuel subsidy, President Tinubu made a hard but necessary call—liberating trillions of naira to expand federal allocations by over 340 percent. States now have the means to invest in their future,” Bagudu said.
Bagudu noted that northern states, in particular, benefited from the increased allocations.
He cited Gombe State’s revenue jump from N6.69 billion to N24.91 billion (a 272.35% rise) and Kaduna’s increase from N11.94 billion to N42.01 billion (a 251.84% leap).
Regionally, the North-Central, North-East, and North-West saw their shares increase by 145%, 149%, and 143% respectively.
“These show how removing subsidies and enhancing revenue-sharing mechanisms have directly benefited state governments, enabling them to fund their development priorities,” he stated.
According to Bagudu, debt reduction has also been a major win under Tinubu, saying the total debt of states dropped by 33.4%, from N5.8 trillion to N3.8 trillion, while northern states saw a 42.06% reduction, from N1.98 trillion to N1.14 trillion.
“These results demonstrate the tangible benefits of macro-fiscal reforms. The Renewed Hope Agenda is delivering real value to citizens through improved subnational fiscal capacity,” he added.
Bagudu went further to list key infrastructure and healthcare projects executed in the North under Tinubu’s leadership.
He mentioned major federal road projects such as the Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway, Kano-Maiduguri Road dualisation, Sokoto-Gusau-Funtua-Zaria Highway, Abuja-Keffi-Makurdi Road, and the AKK Gas Pipeline, among others.
On healthcare, he said the administration had revitalised over 1,003 primary healthcare centres in two years and upgraded federal teaching hospitals in Katsina, Bauchi, Yobe, Borno, Zaria, Adamawa, Kebbi, Taraba, and Kano. Ten national medical warehouses were also established in the North.
Under the MAMII programme, Bagudu said the North recorded 13.1 million antenatal visits, 4.2 million safe deliveries, 4,000 free Caesarean sections, and 6 million women receiving nutritional support.
“This is not charity. It is health justice delivered with intent,” he said.
The minister reiterated that President Tinubu’s policies were fair to all regions, adding that the administration’s Renewed Hope legacy projects were evenly distributed nationwide.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration has demonstrated a comprehensive and strategic approach to addressing the economic, social, and governance challenges in Nigeria,” he stated.
While some northern voices have expressed concerns about marginalisation, Bagudu and other political appointees from the region argued that data and project records clearly show the North has gained significantly under Tinubu’s presidency.
