BIG BUDGET UPDATE! Over 50% of Nigeria’s 2024–2025 Projects Are Heading to the North!

The Director-General of the Budget Office, Tanimu Yakubu, just dropped a major clarification: More than half of Nigeria’s capital budget for 2024 and 2025 is allocated to projects in the Northern region

This comes after criticism from some Northern leaders, including former Kano Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso and ex-SGF Babachir Lawal, who claimed the region was being sidelined. But Yakubu says otherwise the North is a TOP priority for federal investment

Key Projects in the North:
✔ Abuja–Kano Expressway Dualisation – Smoother, faster travel!
✔ Sokoto–Badagry Superhighway (₦12.1T!) – A game-changer for West African trade!
✔ Kano–Maradi Rail Line – Boosting cross-border commerce!
✔ New Inland Dry Ports (Funtua & Bauchi) – Easier exports for farmers & businesses!
✔ Upgraded Airports (Kaduna, Maiduguri, Katsina) – Better connectivity!

Yakubu also highlighted massive investments in water basins, power lines, and security to tackle floods, boost farming, and stabilize troubled areas.

YOUR TAKE?
Do you think these projects will truly benefit the North? Or is more transparency needed? Drop a comment!

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Lagos Is Playing with Fire — And Tinubu Must Put It Out

By Babafemi Ojudu

A troubling trend is unfolding in Lagos State. In the aftermath of the recent local government elections, some newly elected officials have embarked on a reckless spree of renaming streets—particularly those bearing Igbo names or named after prominent non-indigenes. This is not coincidental; it is a calculated political maneuver rooted in resentment, identity politics, and shortsighted leadership.

The long-simmering tension between Yoruba and Igbo communities reached a boiling point during the 2023 elections. Peter Obi of the Labour Party shocked the political establishment by defeating Bola Ahmed Tinubu—Lagos’s long-reigning political figure—in the presidential poll within the state. That upset sent shockwaves through the ruling APC, and fears grew that a similar surprise might unfold in the governorship race. What followed was an aggressive, divisive campaign that shamelessly weaponized ethnicity, fear, and misinformation.

Wild accusations flew: that the Igbo had “bought up” Lagos, “taken over” the economy, and were scheming to seize political power. These narratives were dangerous—and not entirely new. But while they didn’t arise in a vacuum, they have been irresponsibly amplified.

It’s true that some individuals within the Igbo community, in asserting cultural pride, have crossed into political overreach—not just in Nigeria but abroad. A recent example is an Igbo man in Ghana who purchased large tracts of land and declared himself a king, sparking fears—justified or not—of secessionist ambitions in host communities. Similarly, the proliferation of self-styled “Eze Ndi Igbo” (Igbo kings) across non-Igbo regions can be perceived as provocative, especially when seen as parallel authority structures. While these acts may stem from pride and cultural identity, they can easily be exploited by opportunistic politicians to sow fear and division.

But make no mistake: these isolated actions do not justify collective punishment or cultural erasure.

Lagos was built by many hands—Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, Urhobo, Tapa, and more. Its strength lies in its diversity. To target any group—especially one so deeply embedded in the city’s economy and social fabric—is not just morally wrong; it is politically suicidal.

Rather than stoking ethnic division, Lagos leaders should focus on the real threats to the city: youth unemployment, drug addiction, urban decay, traffic congestion, and collapsing infrastructure. These are the issues threatening Lagos’s future—not the names on its street signs.

What makes this ethnic posturing even more shortsighted is the broader national context. Discontent is rising across Nigeria. The economy is reeling, inflation is crushing households, and insecurity remains rampant. As the 2027 elections approach, the ruling APC is grappling with waning public trust. Alienating a significant Southern demographic—the Igbo—while Northern political elites express growing dissatisfaction with Tinubu’s leadership is a dangerous gamble.

Just recently, Northern heavyweight Rabiu Kwankwaso declared that the North feels marginalized under Tinubu’s presidency and may not support his re-election. If the North grows distant and the Southeast is antagonized, where will the support come from? This trend risks isolating the South West politically—and that isolation will not bode well for the Yoruba, both at home and in the diaspora.

This is where President Bola Ahmed Tinubu must rise above the fray. He cannot afford to allow partisan loyalty or ethnic sentiment to blind him to the growing danger of ethnic polarization. Left unchecked, it could spiral into something far more sinister—even ethnic cleansing. Nigeria is too fragile for such a descent.

The President must initiate a process of reconciliation. He should reach out to Igbo leaders—both at home and abroad—to promote moderation and mutual respect. Online abuse and reckless insults, such as referring to revered Yoruba figures like Wole Soyinka in derogatory terms, must cease. I was stunned to read a young Igbo man referring to Soyinka as a “gbajue professor.” Such incivility wounds the national psyche and deepens mistrust.

At the same time, Tinubu must speak frankly to Yoruba communities—especially indigenes of Lagos. Being a host comes with responsibility, not superiority. You cannot sell your land willingly, spend the proceeds on indulgent lifestyles, and then resent those who invested and built on that land. You cannot eat your cake and still have it. If you admire the success of others, emulate their work ethic and community spirit—don’t scapegoat them.

Meanwhile, fault lines are cracking elsewhere. In the North, Muslim-Christian tensions are rising. The once-cohesive Fulani-Hausa alliance is showing strain. In the South, Yoruba-Igbo relations are fraying. In the Niger Delta, some groups are rejecting the inclusion of Igbos in the Biafra narrative. Even among the Yoruba, there is growing resentment against the idea of “giving everything to Lagos,” while some Lagosians disparage non-indigenous Yoruba (“ara oke”) who’ve found success in the city.

Nigeria is a house divided—and unless urgent steps are taken, it may not stand much longer. The crisis in Rivers State has stirred new waves of resentment in the Niger Delta. Everywhere, identity-based fault lines are deepening.

President Tinubu must not be complacent. If Nigeria fractures, history will not remember his economic policies or political victories. It will remember that the house collapsed under his watch.

The task before him is urgent and non-transferable: call your boys to order, heal old wounds, unite the nation, and rise above petty politics. This is not a job for committees or proxies. Only bold, visionary leadership can pull Nigeria back from the brink.

The window is closing. Now is the time to act.

• Ojudu is a former Senator, journalist, political scientist,

Nationwide Outrage As Nigerians React As Baze University Owner Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed’s Son Graduates From UK University | ABK News

A wave of public criticism and spirited debate has erupted following the graduation of the son of Dr. Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, founder and Pro-Chancellor of Baze University, Abuja, from the prestigious Queen Mary University of London.

Photos and videos from the graduation ceremony, which surfaced online earlier this week, show the proud father celebrating with family members in the UK.

But what was expected to be a quiet moment of personal celebration has instead drawn intense scrutiny from Nigerians, who question why the owner of a private university in Nigeria would choose to educate his child abroad.

The development has sparked a nationwide conversation on the perceived double standards of Nigeria’s political and academic elite—many of whom establish private schools in the country but send their own children overseas for education.

Nigerians online are deeply divided, with some defending Datti’s decision, pointing out that such choices are often made for strategic or societal reasons, not necessarily as a condemnation of Nigerian education.

Others, however, condemned it as part of a larger problem of elitism and neglect of local institutions.

One user on Facebook wrote: “Why open a university in Abuja if your own children won’t attend it? Even the owners don’t trust what they built.”

Another added: “Dr. Datti is a respected education advocate. But this shows that even he believes his son is better off studying abroad than in Nigeria. That says a lot.”

Another user stated: “This is not just about Datti. It’s symbolic of a wider issue. Nigerian elites frequently invest in local education but still send their kids abroad. It undermines public confidence and exposes deep hypocrisy.”

A Facebook user argued: “On the other hand, he may desire a better society and environment for his son, which Nigeria may not offer. Education goes beyond the classroom. The society around it matters too.”

Another added: “There would have been a conflict of interest if his son had attended Baze University. Imagine the pressure on lecturers to give him good grades just because of who his father is.”

A user wrote: “Tell me, who among the lecturers would dare give him anything less than an A if he studied at Baze?”

Another said: “He’s a prominent member of a coalition that claims to want to rescue Nigeria, yet he can’t trust the very institutions they claim to be building. It’s hypocrisy.”

A user also posted: “Our elites don’t trust the quality of our education or our hospitals. That’s why they go abroad for everything—even paracetamol.”

Another wrote: “Let there be a law banning politicians and their families from schooling and receiving treatment abroad. That way they’ll be forced to fix what they’ve destroyed.”

Others took a more pragmatic view: “If he attended Baze, the same critics would accuse him of benefiting unfairly. Either way, people would talk.”

The criticism, while not universal, reflects growing frustration over the state of Nigeria’s education sector, particularly as many public institutions continue to suffer from underfunding, frequent strikes, and poor infrastructure.

Dr. Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, a former senator and 2023 Labour Party vice-presidential candidate, has positioned Baze University as a model of academic excellence in Nigeria’s struggling tertiary education system.

The university is often cited for its solid infrastructure, stable academic calendar, and efforts to rival international standards.

However, his son’s graduation abroad has raised questions about the credibility and purpose of such private institutions, especially when their founders appear to lack personal confidence in them.

Queen Mary University of London, a member of the elite Russell Group, is ranked among the top global institutions and is a favored destination for children of Nigeria’s wealthy and political class. It offers world-class facilities, international exposure, and a stable academic environment—factors often lacking in Nigeria’s own institutions.

Recall that last year, his daughter Taslim graduated from Reading University United Kingdom.

Nigerians are saying this is a case of a producer who doesn't have trust in his products. Baze University Abuja claims to be promoting high qualitative education, but none of the children of the owner can attend it.

What do you think about these reactions?

#bazeuniversity #queenmaryuniversityoflondon
#YusufDatti #patronisenigeria