The Budget Office of the Federation has revealed that the North-West geopolitical zone received the largest share of Federal Executive Council (FEC) project approvals under President Bola Tinubu, totaling N5.97 trillion, or more than 40% of the N10.92 trillion approvals so far.
The disclosure was made by the Director-General of the Budget Office, Tanimu Yakubu, in a statement issued on Sunday.
Yakubu clarified concerns raised by a viral chart circulating online, which had misleadingly classified national highways and transport corridors passing through Lagos as “Lagos-only projects.”
According to him, truly Lagos-exclusive projects—such as airport fencing, Carter Bridge works, and other localized upgrades—amount to about N1.2 trillion, while the remaining N2.7 trillion attributed to Lagos are national infrastructure projects that benefit the entire federation.
“The viral chart bundles together national infrastructure—federal highways, coastal transport corridors, and legacy roads—and labels them ‘Lagos-only projects.’ By that logic, the Kano–Maiduguri expressway could be called a ‘Maiduguri-only project.’ It is a sleight of hand that ignores the truth: these are national arteries, not local trophies,” Yakubu stated.
Yakubu also provided a regional breakdown of FEC-approved projects under the Tinubu administration: North-West: N5.97tn, South-South: N2.41tn, North-Central: N1.13tn, South-West (excluding Lagos): N604bn, South-East: N407bn, North-East: N400bn
The DG stressed that national infrastructure should not be viewed through a narrow local lens, as such projects are designed to connect regions and promote balanced development.
