Ndume Protests Omission Of Borno Roads From 2026 Budget

Senator representing Borno South at the National Assembly, Ali Ndume, has formally petitioned the Federal Ministry of Works over the exclusion of critical Borno State transit hubs from a multi-billion naira “legacy” road project.

In a letter addressed to the minister of Works, David Umahi, dated February 11, 2026, obtained by LEADERSHIP in Maiduguri on Thursday evening, the lawmaker raised the alarm over what he described as an “incomplete” design for the Akwanga-Jos-Bauchi-Gombe road corridor.

The project, central to the president’s Renewed Hope Administration infrastructure plan, is intended to link the North Central and North East regions via a high-capacity dual carriageway.

However, budget documents for the 2026 fiscal year revealed that the project terminates in Gombe State, leaving out the planned extensions to Biu, Damboa and Maiduguri in Borno State.

Senator Ndume expressed frustration that despite Borno’s loyalty to the administration – as the only state in the North East where the president won during the 2023 elections – the state appears sidelined in major infrastructure schemes.

He specifically highlighted that Borno remains largely excluded from the NNPCL-funded Tax Credit Road Projects, a mechanism frequently used by other states to fast-track highway construction.

“I believe Borno State should be a primary beneficiary of these legacy projects,” Ndume wrote. “As the insurgency recedes, the Federal Government must prioritise restoring economic life through the rehabilitation of these failed and critical roads.”

The petition comes amid a tense week for the Ministry of Works. Minister David Umahi recently defended a ₦3.4 trillion budget proposal for 2026, which includes ₦760 billion for new projects.

While the Minister has categorized certain small-scale budget entries as “placeholders” or “optical illusions” to maintain project listings, Senator Ndume is demanding a concrete commitment to extend the dualisation beyond Gombe.

By intervening at the budget defense stage, Ndume is positioning himself as the leading advocate for North East infrastructure, arguing that “Renewed Hope” cannot be realized for the people of Borno if the state’s primary arteries remain in a state of decay after 15 years of conflict.