By joshua 
Tinubu’s $21.5bn Loan Plan Ignores the North Central — We Will Not Be Taken for Granted
By Christopher Sunday
With heavy hearts and clear minds, we, the youth of the North Central region, rise to express our deep concern over the recently approved $21.5 billion loan request submitted by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and endorsed by the Nigerian Senate.
While we recognize the urgent need for infrastructure renewal and economic development, we strongly reject any financial plan that sidelines the North Central zone — the economic backbone and geographical heart of Nigeria.
The loan, broken into multiple foreign currencies — $21.5 billion, €2.1 billion, and ¥150 billion — is earmarked for national projects. However, a closer look shows a deliberate exclusion of core North Central priorities. Consider the following: $3 billion for Port Harcourt to Maiduguri Eastern Rail Line (South East/North East), $2 billion for Lagos Green Line (South West), $1.33 billion for Akwanga–Jos–Bauchi–Gombe Road (mostly benefits North East), $1.14 billion and $1.07 billion for Eastern & Western Super Grids (vague benefit to Middle Belt), $508 million for Eastern Port Infrastructure (South South), $250 million for Lekki 7th Axial Road (South West), $700 million for Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway (South West to South South), $596.2 million for Kaduna–Kano Rail Stock (North West), and $540 million for Border Security Project (with no operational footprint in our region). Youth and social development funds: Sokoto ($45m), Yobe ($50m), and the AfDB Youth Fund ($100m) — all bypass the North Central.
We ask again: Where is Ajaokuta Steel Complex?
The Ajaokuta project in Kogi State is not just an industrial dream — it is the cornerstone of Nigeria’s long-abandoned industrial revolution. It is capable of employing tens of thousands of Nigerians, boosting the local economy, and saving the nation billions in steel imports. Yet this project is completely ignored in this ambitious borrowing plan.
Not a mention. Not a dollar. Not even a plan. This silence is deafening and unacceptable.
It is painful that some elders in our region have chosen political survival over regional justice. But we, the youth of the North Central, refuse to be complicit in our own marginalization. We will not be loyal to a government that is not loyal to our people.
No strategic investments in our industries. No hospitals. No climate resilience. No rail or major infrastructure. North Central is not a political dumping ground. We are not second-class citizens. If our contributions are not respected, our loyalty will not be freely given. Come 2027, we will vote our conscience.
Mr. President, your vision of a renewed hope for Nigeria must not come at the expense of the Middle Belt. If you must borrow on our behalf, let the benefit be fair and inclusive. Revive Ajaokuta Steel Complex. Complete the Lokoja-Abuja Expressway. Dredge the River Niger to open up our inland economy. Build hospitals, secure our borders, and empower our farmers.
A true national borrowing plan must carry every region along — not just politically convenient zones. If you continue to ignore our needs, you risk losing a region that has always stood for peace, stability, and unity.
Let this rejoinder echo across Nigeria:
No Ajaokuta, No Vote.
No Inclusion, No Support.
North Central Deserves Better.
Christopher Sunday
Kogi State.