Tinubu Has Ended Years Of Neglect In North Central, Says Sani 313 Support Groups

A coalition of grassroots groups under the Sani 313 Support Groups for Asiwaju has declared support for President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, saying the administration is restoring the North Central Zone from the margins of national neglect to the centre of development.

In a statement issued  on Tuesday and signed by its national coordinator, Comrade Amos Adamu, the coalition of grassroots groups said President Tinubu’s administration has shown political courage and responsiveness through landmark interventions in infrastructure, agriculture, security, and political inclusion.

“For decades, the North Central region has played a strategic role in the stability, unity, and economic engine of Nigeria. We are the gateway between the North and South, the crucible of agricultural production, and home to diverse peoples, faiths, and cultures. Yet, for too long, we have remained on the margins of national development conversations. Our roads have crumbled. Our youth have been neglected. Our farmers have suffered. Our communities have endured violent conflicts, forced displacements, and lack of critical infrastructure. But today, that tide is turning,” the statement reads.

Adamu described the recent establishment of the North Central Development Commission (NCDC) as a watershed moment, crediting President Tinubu with listening to long-standing demands for a dedicated development vehicle to address the zone’s peculiar challenges.

“The passage of the NCDC bill and the immediate assent by President Tinubu signal not just policy direction, but political courage. It represents the first time in our nation’s history that a sitting government has recognised the structural damage and humanitarian displacement suffered by our zone and responded with a development framework tailored to our reality. This is not tokenism. It is transformational,” the group said.

The coalition added that the administration’s early achievements in road construction, agriculture and security were already visible in several states of the region, driven by a clear plan under the Renewed Hope blueprint.

“The Renewed Hope Agenda is not a slogan; it is a roadmap. And we in the North Central are already seeing its signs: federal road interventions across key corridors — Lokoja-Benin, Abuja-Keffi, Lafia-Makurdi, and Minna-Bida — have been accelerated through SUKUK bonds and budget prioritisation. Agricultural productivity is receiving a boost through mechanisation programmes, subsidised inputs, and dry-season farming support, particularly in Benue, Niger, and Kogi states. Security architecture is being recalibrated, with military deployments and intelligence operations curbing banditry in hotspots like Plateau, Benue and Nasarawa,” the group said.

While acknowledging the economic pain currently experienced by Nigerians, the Sani 313 Support Groups defended the administration’s economic reforms, saying the fuel subsidy removal and exchange rate unification were necessary to rescue the country from collapse.

“We are not blind to the economic hardship Nigerians are currently facing. The removal of fuel subsidy, exchange rate liberalisation, and other fiscal reforms have led to inflationary pressures, rising transportation costs, and squeezed household budgets. However, as a support group rooted in grassroots engagement, we understand that these reforms were not done out of recklessness — but necessity. Nigeria was on the brink. The old economic structure was unsustainable. What is needed now is compassion, speed, and strategic investment,” the group stated.

Adamu also highlighted efforts made by the government to cushion these impacts through programmes like the Presidential CNG initiative, conditional cash transfers, and the student loan scheme, but said more needed to be done to support the vulnerable and control inflation.

On political inclusion, the group thanked the president for appointing competent representatives from the region but called on them to deliver results in their various offices.

“Representation matters. But beyond appointments, what truly matters is performance. We urge our own sons and daughters currently serving in the Tinubu administration to see themselves as ambassadors of the zone. Let their performance reflect the aspirations of our people,” the statement read.

In conclusion, the Sani 313 Support Groups said the North Central zone had begun a journey of restoration under President Tinubu’s leadership and urged citizens to participate in building a better future.

“Dear compatriots, the North Central is no longer invisible. Thanks to the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, our zone is being restored to its rightful place — as a region of dignity, strength, and national relevance,” the statement added.

“We salute the Renewed Hope Blueprint and affirm our total support for this administration. We will continue to defend it in truth, engage it in honesty, and promote it with vigour. Let no one mistake our gratitude for complacency. Our loyalty is earned through performance — and so far, President Tinubu is earning it.”