Dogara: Poverty and Insecurity in Northern Nigeria a National Emergency

Former Speaker of the House of Representatives Yakubu Dogara has warned that the worsening poverty and insecurity in Northern Nigeria must be treated as a national emergency. Speaking at the Nigeria Investment and Industrialization Summit (NNIIS) 2025, hosted by the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) in Abuja, Dogara stressed that the crisis has reached alarming levels and threatens Nigeria’s overall development.

                               

Dogara said the region’s unending violence has both social and spiritual consequences, pointing to the sheer scale of bloodshed.

“The region is functioning under a curse because it involves human blood. That is why Northerners are perspiring without results,” he remarked.

He emphasized that insecurity is the root problem holding back the North, warning that unless governors of the 19 northern states pool resources to address it, all economic plans would remain ineffective.

The former Speaker called for radical and transformative measures, urging Northerners to stop relying on external aid and take charge of their future.

• Governors’ Role: Combine resources across all 19 states to fight insecurity.

• People’s Responsibility: Embrace self-reliance and bold reforms.

• National Urgency: Treat northern underdevelopment as a national, not regional, issue.

He argued that without meaningful development of the North’s large population, Nigeria as a whole will stagnate.

Summit Focus Areas

The NNIIS 2025 highlighted four pillars critical to Northern Nigeria’s revival:

1. Mining – ensuring fair and sustainable use of mineral wealth.

2. Digital Economy & Innovation – using technology to unlock growth.

3. Agriculture – shifting from subsistence to large-scale agro-industrial systems.

4. Power – closing energy gaps through decentralization and partnerships.