Northern Governors, Elders Push for Unity to Tackle Insecurity and Drive Economic Growth

Leaders and governors from Northern Nigeria have renewed calls for unity as the key to ending insecurity and unlocking economic opportunities in the region.

Speaking at the Northern Nigeria Investment and Industrialization Summit (NNIIS) 2025 in Abuja, they stressed that fragmented responses have weakened the North’s bargaining power and delayed development.

The two-day summit, convened at the request of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), was themed “Unlocking Northern Nigeria’s Mining, Agricultural, and Power Potentials (MAP2035).”

The North has endured years of banditry, insurgency, farmer-herder conflicts, and kidnappings, leaving widespread underdevelopment in their wake.

The MAP2035 reform agenda aims to reposition the region as a hub of inclusive growth, industrialization, and innovation over the next decade.

Key Takeaways from Northern Leaders

1. Security as the Foundation of Growth

Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal stressed that investors will not risk capital where safety is uncertain. He called for:

• An integrated security architecture

• Real-time intelligence sharing among states

• A Northern Nigerian Economic Compact to jointly coordinate on security and investment.

“Investors are not philanthropists. Security is the cornerstone of prosperity,” he said.

2. Economic Self-Reliance and Mining Reforms

Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule argued that states must stop blaming others for insecurity and instead use available resources to protect citizens.

He highlighted Nasarawa’s success in:

• Formalizing mining operations

• Boosting agricultural productivity

• Attracting subnational revenue for transformative industries

3. Infrastructure as the Missing Link

Chairman of the Northern Governors’ Forum (NGF) and Gombe State Governor Inuwa Yahaya noted that the region’s wealth cannot be maximized without infrastructure.

“We are blessed with minerals, fertile land, and vibrant human capital, but without railways, roads, power, and storage, the full value cannot be realised,” Yahaya said.

He also called for reforms in project financing and collateral standards to allow northern entrepreneurs access to credit using local assets.