Tinubu challenges critics, says North is the heart of national growth
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu used his platform at the inaugural Northern Nigeria Investment & Industrialisation Summit (NNIIS) 2025 on Monday to strongly assert the region's central role in the nation's economic rebound pushing back against recent suggestions that his administration's benefits are unfairly concentrated in the South.
The President's keynote address, delivered by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, described Northern Nigeria as the heart of national growth.
This focus comes as some northern political figures have publicly claimed a perceived lopsidedness in development since the start of the Renewed Hope Agenda.
Addressing the summit themed Unlocking Strategic Opportunities in Mining, Agriculture, and Power (MAP 2025), President Tinubu highlighted the administration's economic achievements.
He cited Nigeria's 4.23% GDP growth in Q2 2025, which he termed the strongest in a decade, attributing the progress to deliberate reforms like subsidy removal and forex unification that have boosted investor confidence and fiscal discipline.
The President underscored that sustaining this national growth is inextricably linked to unlocking the North's vast resources.
He pointed to the region's extensive mineral deposits and its possession of over 70% of the nation's arable land as essential for achieving industrialisation and food security.
He also emphasized flagship initiatives like the Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano (AKK) gas pipeline and the development of new agro-industrial corridors, which he noted are designed specifically to catalyze private sector investment and build inclusive prosperity across the North.
"The future of Nigeria’s prosperity is inseparable from the future of Northern Nigeria," President Tinubu stated.
He concluded that the administration’s ongoing reforms are purposefully laying the groundwork for a private sector driven transformation that will ensure the North's potential is fully realized, thereby securing a stronger economy for all Nigerians