Northern leaders and governors have called for a united front in order to effectively address Northern Nigeria’s security and economic challenges that have plagued the region for years.
They made their views known in Abuja on Monday at the Northern Nigeria Investment and Industrialisation Summit (NNIIS) 2025, themed: “Unlocking Northern Nigeria’s Mining, Agricultural and Power Potentials (MAP2035).”
The event was convened at the instance of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF).
MAP2035 is a 10-year blueprint for transformation, a framework designed to reposition Northern Nigeria as a hub of innovation, industrialisation, and inclusive growth.
For years, the region has been beset by banditry, insurgency, farmer-herder clashes, and kidnappings, resulting in widespread underdevelopment.
The governors of Zamfara, Nasarawa, and Gombe states, while speaking at the summit, explained that fragmented responses had weakened the region’s bargaining power and delayed progress in all spheres of life.
For them, the only way to tackle insecurity and drive economic transformation across the region is through a unified front.
To unlock the North’s vast potentials in mining, agriculture, and power, they underscored the need for collaborative action, infrastructure development, and policy reform.
According to Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State, security is the bedrock of development, noting that investors, both domestic and international, are not philanthropists but realists who will not commit capital where it is unsafe.
He stressed the need for stronger collaboration among the 19 northern states, including integrated security architecture and real-time intelligence sharing, to create a predictable environment for investment.
He then 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 noted the unprecedented revenue available to subnational governments, urging leaders to channel resources into transformative sectors.
He insisted that every state now has the resources to secure its people, adding that leaders should stop blaming others for their security challenges.
Sule also highlighted Nasarawa’s strides in formalising the mining sector and expanding agricultural production, reinforcing the importance of leveraging local strengths for regional growth.
Governor Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State, who chairs the Northern Governors’ Forum (NGF), said poor infrastructure remains a major barrier to economic progress in the region.
According to him: “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 called for reforms in project financing to ensure Northern entrepreneurs can access credit using local assets, describing current collateral practices as “exclusionary.”
Tuesday marks the second and final day of the summit, during which the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) is expected to consolidate inputs from various speakers and release a formal communiqué.
Northern leaders, governors call for unity to address region’s challenges