The Northeast caucus of the National Assembly has accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of neglecting the region in key projects, appointments, and policy decisions.
The caucus, which includes Senators and House of Representatives members from the six North-East states Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba, and Yobe made the accusation during a press conference held on Thursday at the National Assembly in Abuja.
The lawmakers urged President Tinubu to review his decisions and ensure the region is fairly represented in national projects and appointments.
Their concerns come shortly after Senator Ali Ndume from Borno South also criticized the President for what he called biased appointments a claim the presidency has since denied.
A major point of contention raised by the caucus is the exclusion of the Northeast from the $530 million Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) programme.
This initiative is funded by the Federal Government in partnership with the African Development Bank (AfDB), the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
While states like Kaduna, Kano, Ogun, Oyo, and the FCT were selected, along with one state each from the South-South, South-East, and North-Central regions, the Northeast was completely left out.
Senator Danjuma Goje, who led the caucus, expressed disappointment over the exclusion, noting that the Northeast covers nearly one-third of Nigeria’s landmass and is a major producer of livestock and food crops.
He emphasized that the SAPZ project was intended to boost agriculture through innovation, investment, and improved infrastructure areas where the Northeast has high potential but remains underserved.
The lawmakers called on President Tinubu to correct what they see as an unfair oversight and to include the Northeast in future national development plans.
