President Bola Tinubu has declared that Northern Nigeria is the biggest beneficiary of his administration’s economic reforms, arguing that the removal of fuel subsidy has freed funds for critical infrastructure and rescued the country from worsening fiscal pressures.
Tinubu stated this on Tuesday at the second edition of the Policy Roundtable organised by the All Progressives Congress (APC) Professionals Forum in Abuja under the theme, The Asiwaju Scorecard Series.
The President was represented at the event by the APC National Chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda.
Defending his administration’s economic policies, Tinubu pointed to improvements in key macroeconomic indicators, saying Nigeria’s gross external reserves had risen to about $52.7 billion as of August 2026.
He also cited real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth of 4.43 percent in the second quarter of 2026 and a moderation in inflation to 15.4 percent.
According to the President, the reforms are central to his administration’s ambition of growing Nigeria into a $1 trillion economy by 2030, with major infrastructure projects expected to unlock new economic opportunities, particularly across the North.
Among the projects highlighted were the Sokoto-Badagry Super Highway, Lagos-Kano rail corridor and the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) gas pipeline.
Tinubu said the projects would strengthen trade between Northern Nigeria and neighbouring countries, positioning the region as a major commercial hub.
“The biggest beneficiaries of this economy will be the Northern part of Nigeria, because they will now be trading with countries, trading with Niger, trading with Chad, trading with Burkina Faso, trading with Southern Sudan, trading with Northern Cameroon, trading with Central African Republic… The North is the next business destination of Nigeria.”
The President’s assessment, however, has triggered divergent reactions from prominent Northern and Middle Belt groups.
The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) and Middle Belt Forum (MBF) rejected the claim, arguing that the administration’s economic policies have instead worsened poverty, inflation and the cost of living in many communities across the region.
But the Northern Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) backed the administration, saying Tinubu’s structural reforms and the distribution of infrastructure projects represented significant progress compared with previous administrations.
The debate also extended to opposition proposals ahead of the 2027 general elections, particularly calls for a return to fuel subsidy payments.
The APC leadership criticised proposals, including those attributed to African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar, to restore fuel subsidies.
Dr Isa Yuguda, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the APC Professionals Forum, warned that reinstating the former subsidy regime could reopen avenues for financial leakages and weaken the government’s fiscal position.
He argued that the funds saved from subsidy removal were now supporting programmes and projects including student loans, border security and regional transport infrastructure.
