Northern governors on Monday declared that the region stands at a dangerous crossroads, warning that insecurity and poverty threaten to erase its future unless leaders act with urgency, honesty and unity.
The caution came at a joint meeting of the Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF) and the Northern Traditional Rulers Council, hosted in Kaduna by Governor Uba Sani.
The two-day summit brought together all 19 Northern governors, traditional rulers, security chiefs and civil-society groups to craft a coordinated strategy against a crisis the forum described as “existential.”
Chairman of the NSGF and Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, set the tone with a sobering declaration that the North is “confronted with the grim reality of insecurity and poverty that seeks to undermine our very existence.”
He said history would judge Northern leaders not by the projects they commissioned, but “by whether we bequeath to future generations a Northern Nigeria they can truly call home.”
Yahaya thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for what he called “strong leadership and steadfast commitment to Nigeria’s security, sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
He condemned the recent mass abductions of schoolchildren in Kebbi, Kwara, Kogi, Kano, Niger and Sokoto, as well as the Boko Haram attacks in Borno and Yobe, extending condolences to affected families.
The governor praised Federal efforts that led to the release of some abducted students but demanded continued pressure to free those still in captivity.
“Education is the bedrock of our children’s future,” he said. “An attack on education is a direct assault on our future.”
Yahaya noted that the security crisis “spares no one,” consuming both rich and poor, Muslims and Christians, young and old, and urged political leaders to resist exploiting ethnic or religious sentiments.
He identified underdevelopment, illiteracy, climate change, unemployment and poor resource management as root causes that must be addressed in parallel with military responses.
He placed millions of Almajiri and out-of-school children at the heart of the conversation, urging “decisive and coordinated actions to put every child in school.”
The forum reaffirmed support for state policing, calling it “a critical and effective mechanism” needed to confront the region’s complex security landscape.
It urged the National Assembly to expedite constitutional amendments to actualise the long-demanded reform.
Governor Uba Sani reinforced the call, arguing that Nigeria’s centralized policing model was grossly inadequate for a nation of over 230 million people and vast ungoverned spaces.
Sani hailed Yahaya’s leadership and commended fellow governors for their determination to safeguard their citizens despite mounting challenges.
He also praised traditional rulers for their stabilising presence, describing their wisdom as crucial at this fragile moment.
The Kaduna governor warned against what he called a “troubling trend” of politicising insecurity, accusing some opposition actors of amplifying fear for partisan advantage.
“We must resist this behaviour,” he said. “We have a President who understands the North, values the North, and consistently demonstrates respect for our perspectives.”
He urged leaders to embrace bold thinking and uphold the visionary legacy historically associated with Northern leadership.
Delivering the traditional rulers’ position, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, urged governors to “double their efforts” and unite against the region’s worsening security and socioeconomic maladies.
“As leaders, we need to really tell ourselves the truth,” the Sultan said. “But I want to assure you — we are 100 percent with you in this drive to make the North a better place, because we don’t have any other place to be.”
He described the gathering as a fresh opportunity for serious reflection on threats to the region’s stability and the country’s unity.
At the close of the meeting, governors issued a joint declaration pledging “collective resolve to work closely with the Federal Government under President Tinubu to turn the tide and ensure lasting peace and stability for our region and the nation at large.”
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