Minister of National Planning, Senator Atiku Bagudu has declared that the North has no reason to regret supporting President Bola Tinubu, as the region remains fully represented and actively engaged in national governance.
Bagudu, who spoke at a technical session of the Government-Citizen Engagement organised by the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation at Arewa House in Kaduna, assured that the Tinubu administration is inclusive and built on national unity.
He dismissed the notion of systemic discrimination against the North, insisting that President Tinubu’s team reflects a national character and is guided by competence, vision, and merit.
“Those of us privileged to serve in President Tinubu’s administration are vigilant in defending the interests of the North. There is no exclusion, and there is absolutely no reason for regret,” Bagudu stated.
Describing Tinubu as a nationalist, the minister said all appointments and policies of the current administration were driven by merit and national interest rather than ethnic or regional considerations.
He called on Northern leaders and citizens to ignore divisive narratives aimed at painting the region as marginalised, asserting that “the North is deeply engaged at all levels of governance.”
Speaking on the economic situation inherited by the administration, Bagudu said the country was in crisis, borrowing to import fuel and sustaining a broken subsidy system that was fiscally unviable.
According to him, Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda introduced bold reforms such as fuel subsidy removal, forex liberalisation, and revenue reform to stabilise the economy, which he said are already yielding positive results.
“For example, Adamawa State’s federal allocation rose from N9.76 billion in May 2023 to N22.73 billion by June 2025. That’s the impact of reform,” he noted.
Bagudu further highlighted structural changes like the return of the Budget Office to the Ministry of National Planning, and the creation of ministries for Livestock Development, Arts and Culture, and the Blue Economy as steps toward inclusive growth.
He maintained that the Tinubu-led government is transitioning from macroeconomic stabilisation to a phase of inclusive growth, with a strong focus on poverty reduction and economic diversification.
The minister also called on Northern stakeholders to become more strategic in their engagement with democratic institutions by influencing budgetary allocations and ensuring regional priorities are captured in national plans.
Meanwhile, Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, said the Tinubu administration met a food crisis and responded decisively with data-backed interventions.
Speaking at the same event, Abdullahi disclosed that over 133,000 hectares of wheat were cultivated in 15 northern states through the Agro-Pocket initiative, exceeding the original target of 130,000 hectares.
He also announced that the government had launched a farmer data audit and registry to eliminate “briefcase farmers” and ensure that only genuine farmers benefit from government interventions.
Abdullahi emphasised that Tinubu’s agricultural revolution includes mechanisation, value chain enhancement, dam projects, and institutional reforms aimed at delivering food security and rural prosperity across Nigeria.
