The Northern Governors Forum (NGF) has raised concerns about the acute economic challenges impacting northern Nigeria, emphasizing the region's heightened vulnerability to economic inequality and energy crises. During a Kaduna meeting with traditional rulers, NGF Chairman, Governor Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State, highlighted the need for targeted social welfare programs, investment in small businesses, and policies to attract investments to tackle widespread poverty and youth restiveness.
Governor Yahaya cited the recent "End Bad Governance" protests as a reminder of the urgent need for reform, urging leaders to foster youth opportunities through education, skills development, and job creation to counter the root causes of social unrest. He noted that ongoing darkness across much of northern Nigeria, due to vandalism of transmission infrastructure, underscores the region's energy vulnerability and the need for expanded transmission lines and diversified energy supplies.
Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State praised President Bola Tinubu’s renewed focus on security, particularly with the establishment of a Joint Military Command and Operation Fansan Yamma to combat terrorism, banditry, and kidnapping. Both governors reiterated their commitment to collaborating with the federal government on development projects and providing relief to communities impacted by criminal activities, flooding, and recent disasters.
The NGF also expressed optimism for leveraging the region's agricultural potential to drive economic growth and reduce food insecurity, advocating for policies that harness northern Nigeria's vast resources for sustainable development.
