Northern Leaders Call for Unified Approach to Address Regional Challenges
Northern leaders and governors from the region have called for a united front to address the region’s security and economic challenges. They spoke in Abuja on Monday during the Northern Nigeria Investment and Industrialisation Summit (NNIIS) 2025, themed ‘Unlocking Northern Nigeria’s Mining, Agricultural and Power Potentials (MAP2035)’. The event was organized by the Northern Elders Forum (NEF).
MAP2035, according to the NEF, is a 10-year blueprint for transformation, designed to reposition Northern Nigeria as a hub of innovation, industrialisation, and inclusive growth. For over a decade, the region has faced numerous challenges, including banditry, insurgency, farmer-herder clashes, and kidnappings. Speaking during the summit, the governors of Zamfara, Nasarawa, and Gombe states highlighted that fragmented responses had weakened the region’s bargaining power and delayed progress.
They called for a unified front to tackle insecurity and drive economic transformation across the region. They emphasized a shared commitment to collaborative action, infrastructure development, and policy reform aimed at unlocking the North’s vast potentials in mining, agriculture, and power.
Security as the Foundation for Development
Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State noted that security is the bedrock of development. He said: “Investors, both domestic and international, are not philanthropists; they are realists. They will not commit capital where it is not safe.”
He called for deeper collaboration among the 19 northern states, including integrated security architecture and real-time intelligence sharing, to create a predictable environment for investment. Lawal also proposed a Northern Nigerian Economic Compact to unify efforts on security and economic matters, co-invest in infrastructure, and present a single window for major investors.
Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State highlighted the unprecedented revenue available to subnational governments, urging leaders to channel these resources into transformative sectors. “Every state now has the resources to secure its people. We should stop blaming anybody for our security. If we are blaming anybody, blame ourselves,” he said.
Sule also showcased Nasarawa’s strides in formalising the mining sector and expanding agricultural production, reinforcing the importance of leveraging local strengths for regional growth.
Infrastructure as a Key Barrier to Progress
Governor Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State, who chairs the Northern Governors’ Forum (NGF), stressed that poor infrastructure remains a major barrier to economic progress. “We are blessed with mineral wealth, fertile land, and vibrant human capital, but without railways, roads, power, and storage, the full value cannot be realised,” he said.
Yahaya called for reforms in project financing to ensure Northern entrepreneurs can access credit using local assets, describing current collateral practices as “exclusionary.” Meanwhile, today marks the second and final day of the summit, during which the NEF is expected to consolidate inputs from various speakers and release a formal communiqué.
President Tinubu Emphasizes the North’s Role in National Prosperity
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, represented at the summit by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Wale Edun, noted that Nigeria’s prosperity is inseparable from the future of the North. He said his administration is currently embarking on critical industrialisation projects for northern Nigeria.
He commended the NEF for the determination to change the narrative and position the region in its rightful place. “The future of Nigeria’s prosperity is inseparable from the future of northern Nigeria. If we unlock the North’s minerals, we secure a new era of industrial competitiveness. If we unlock the North’s agriculture, we guarantee food security and global export leadership. If we unlock the North’s power, we ignite a wave of industrialisation that will employ millions of Nigerians.”
Tinubu added that his economic vision is to build a strong, stable, and inclusive economy where the government clears obstacles out of the way, and the private sector provides the engine of growth. “The North is not just a part of the country; it is the engine of the country. So, together, let us seize this moment to transform northern Nigeria into the powerhouse of Nigeria’s prosperity.”
Infrastructure and Energy as Catalysts for Growth
The president highlighted the importance of infrastructure and energy in driving industrialisation. He mentioned the Ajaokuta Kaduna Kano (AKK) Pipeline project, which, when completed, will make the region an industrial hub. “Energy is the oxygen of industrialisation. Without power, there can be no factories, no agro-processing, and no jobs at scale, which is what Nigeria needs.”
He also discussed the potential of mining, agriculture, and power in the North, emphasizing that these sectors represent the backbone of Nigeria’s economy. “With 70% of Nigeria’s arable land located in the North, agriculture is both the region’s heritage and its future,” he said.
Addressing the Digital Divide and Technological Innovation
Lamis Shehu Dikko, Chairman of the Northern Nigeria Development Company (NNDC), emphasized the need for a paradigm shift in addressing the region’s socioeconomic challenges. He stated that traditional development approaches have failed to reverse the trend, making a shift toward technology, digital infrastructure, and innovation essential.
Dikko called for urgent steps to expand affordable broadband, smartphone access, and reliable electricity as an economic lifeline. He also advocated for the adoption of digital agriculture, such as precision farming tools, to boost crop yields and reduce losses.
On electricity, he said, “Northern Nigeria’s development is crippled by energy poverty – an unreliable grid and low access to electricity in many communities. Technology offers a two-fold solution: modernize the grid and leapfrog with renewables.”
NACCIMA Calls for Investor-Friendly Policies
In his goodwill message, Jani Ibrahim, deputy president of the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), urged the northern governors to adopt transparent, investor-friendly policies, streamline regulatory processes, and guarantee security of life and property.
He emphasized the importance of industrial clusters around mineral belts, investments in infrastructure, and partnerships to improve education and skills. “Mining, agriculture and power represent the most solid pillars upon which the economic revitalisation of northern Nigeria must rest,” Ibrahim said.
