President Bola Tinubu has said Northern Nigeria remains the biggest beneficiary of the economic reforms introduced by his administration.
Tinubu made the claim while highlighting the impact of his government’s policies and projects, particularly the removal of fuel subsidy, infrastructure development, education financing and initiatives aimed at expanding economic opportunities.
The President said his administration inherited several economic challenges when it assumed office on May 29, 2023, including fuel subsidy distortions, multiple exchange-rate windows, weak revenue mobilisation, foreign exchange shortages and rising debt-service pressures.
He said the country’s gross external reserves had risen to about $52.7 billion by August 2026, while consolidated non-oil revenue increased from about ₦13.63 trillion in 2023 to ₦16.4 trillion in the first two quarters of 2026.
Tinubu also said Nigeria’s merchandise trade position improved from a surplus of about ₦44.8 billion in 2023 to approximately ₦7.54 trillion in the first quarter of 2026.
He added that real Gross Domestic Product grew by 4.43 per cent in the second quarter of 2026, while inflation eased to about 15.4 per cent.
According to the President, the reforms are part of efforts to build a $1 trillion economy by 2030, with plans for major maritime, road and rail infrastructure projects across the country.
Speaking on the expected benefits to the North, Tinubu said, “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.”
He also listed the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano gas pipeline, the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, technical and vocational training programmes and the CREDICORP credit initiative among measures designed to translate economic stability into improved living standards.
Tinubu urged Nigerians to decide ahead of the 2027 elections whether to sustain the reforms or reverse them.
He said, “For the All Progressives Congress, the answer is clear. We choose progress, productivity, investment, infrastructure, innovation, Nigerian enterprise, exports, human capital, and we choose President Bola Tinubu.”
The President’s position was supported by the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the APC Professionals Forum, Dr Isa Yuguda, who said the removal of fuel subsidy was necessary to redirect public resources towards development.
Yuguda, who chaired the Fuel Subsidy Task Force in 2009, said the committee had uncovered irregularities, fraudulent practices and financial leakages under the former subsidy regime.
He said more than ₦15 trillion had reportedly been saved from the removal of the subsidy, with the savings contributing to investments in areas including education, security and infrastructure.
However, the Arewa Consultative Forum disagreed with Tinubu’s assessment, describing the claim that the North was the biggest beneficiary of his reforms as “surreal,” “cynical” and “in sour taste.”
The forum’s spokesman, Prof. Tukur Muhammad Baba, said the claim was difficult to reconcile with the socio-economic conditions facing many people in Northern Nigeria.
He questioned the state of agriculture, insecurity, infrastructure and education in the region, and also pointed to rising poverty and the number of out-of-school children.
The Middle Belt Forum also rejected the President’s claim.
Its National President, Dr Bitrus Pogu, argued that policies such as fuel subsidy removal and the introduction of Compressed Natural Gas had affected Nigerians across the country and could not be regarded as benefiting one particular region.
“For him to say that Northern Nigeria is the greatest beneficiary is a funny assertion. Politics should go along with some sincerity,” Pogu said.
He also questioned whether the reforms had positively affected Nigerians, particularly in the North.
However, Chairman of the Northern Christian Association, Rev. John Hayab, said the North could not honestly claim that it had not benefited from the Tinubu administration.
Hayab cited major road projects and other developments across the region, while acknowledging that insecurity, hunger and poverty remained significant challenges.
Comparing Tinubu’s administration with that of former President Muhammadu Buhari, Hayab said, “Buhari didn’t perform and they are doing better than his. So, why don’t you acknowledge it? Because it’s not for free. Huge money has been invested in those projects. At least these ones are trying.”
He said Northerners should acknowledge areas where the government had made progress while continuing to demand more from the administration.
“When he is bad, we will tell him. But in this case, I think he is right… But the North cannot pretend to say that it has not benefited from this government,” Hayab said.