Northern Elders Forum (NEF), yesterday, expressed deep concern over “a systematic exclusion of Northern Nigeria, particularly the North East,” in the Federal Government’s latest round of infrastructure funding approvals.

The government recently approved funding for a range of high-profile road and rail projects, many of which are reportedly concentrated in the southern regions. NEF, however, sees this development as evidence of a disturbing trend of marginalisation.

In a statement by its spokesperson, Prof Abubakar Jiddere, NEF criticised the regional imbalance in capital allocations, warning that continued neglect of the North could have grave national consequences.

Jiddere said: “The recent pattern of capital investment reveals a troubling regional imbalance that heavily favours Southern Nigeria while ignoring the urgent infrastructure needs of the North, especially the North East, which remains the most fragile and underserved part of the country.

“While the government points to projects such as the Abuja/Kano Expressway (N252 billion) and the Wusasa/Jos Road (N18 billion) in the North Central and North West as evidence of inclusion, these are insufficient and largely tokenistic when compared to the massive allocations directed to southern states.”

He pointed to the Lagos/Calabar Coastal Highway at N1.344 trillion; the Delta State section of Lagos/Calabar Coastal Highway at N470.9 billion; Second Niger Bridge (completion) at N148 billion; Lagos/Ibadan Expressway (Phase 2) at 195 billion; Third Mainland Bridge (Lagos structural evaluation) at N3.571 billion among others as more capital-intensive projects in the South.

The elders called on the Federal Ministry of Works and the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) to publicly explain the gross regional disparities in infrastructure development.

It demanded a binding commitment from Northern lawmakers, governors and federal appointees to reject any future federal budgets that do not reflect equitable distribution.