“No need for Biafra, Igbos are very happy, they’re no longer marginalised in Nigeria” – David Umahi
Nigeria’s Minister of Works, David Umahi, has declared that Igbos are no longer marginalised, insisting that renewed calls for Biafra are no longer justified.
He said the Southeast has gained unprecedented inclusion in national development under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
Speaking during an inspection of federal projects, Umahi linked the easing of the Igbo marginalisation debate to massive infrastructure investments across the region.
He argued that improved integration has reduced sentiments that once drove separatist agitations and shaped the Igbo marginalisation debate.
Infrastructure investment eases old grievances
Umahi said past administrations left many Igbos feeling excluded, which strengthened agitation and deepened the Igbo marginalisation debate.
He noted that the situation has changed due to visible federal presence and strategic projects.
“In the past administration, our people felt very much marginalised, and that was the reason some people were agitating for Biafra. But today, we are well integrated into the mainstream of the nation, Nigeria,” he stated.
According to him, these developments have weakened the Igbo marginalisation debate.
Key projects across the Southeast
The minister listed major projects to support his position on the Igbo marginalisation debate and regional inclusion.
They include the Enugu–Port Harcourt Expressway and the Owerri–Onitsha Expressway.
Other projects are Section 2B of the Second Niger Bridge and a 123-kilometre road from Ndibe Beach in Ebonyi State to the Benue border.
Umahi said the projects involve investments worth hundreds of billions of naira and focus on long-lasting quality.
Tinubu praised for Southeast focus
Umahi commended President Tinubu for prioritising the Southeast and addressing concerns behind the Igbo marginalisation debate.
He described the region as “comfortable” and “very happy” under the current administration.
He urged Southeast leaders to seek political relevance through strategy rather than sentiment or rhetoric linked to the Igbo marginalisation debate.
Umahi said engagement, not agitation, would secure lasting influence for the region.
Concluding, he described the present period as historic for the Southeast.
“Even those that don’t want us to take our rightful position as South-East people, God has opened the time. This is our time, and this is the time that God has sent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to reintegrate our people.”
