Plateau State Governor, Barrister Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang, joined his counterparts from the Northern region at the Northern Governors’ Forum meeting held at the Government House in Kaduna, where pressing security challenges and infrastructural deficits topped the agenda.
The Forum, while expressing deep concern over the persistent insecurity plaguing the region, commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his sustained commitment toward addressing the nation’s security issues and improving infrastructure across Northern Nigeria.
In a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting and signed by the Chairman of the Northern Governors’ Forum and Governor of Gombe State, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, the meeting acknowledged the participation of the 19 Northern State Governors alongside the Royal Highnesses who chair their respective Traditional Rulers’ Councils.
The Forum emphasized the importance of nonpartisan cooperation, collaboration, and peer review as crucial mechanisms for tackling the numerous developmental challenges confronting not only the northern region but the country at large. It also charted a strategic direction to mitigate the worsening state of insecurity.
The Forum resolved to collaborate closely with the Nigeria Governors’ Forum to develop modalities for increasing support to federal security agencies. It also underscored the importance of adopting and strengthening local security initiatives tailored to each state’s peculiar challenges.
Furthermore, the governors agreed to establish inter-state platforms to coordinate surveillance activities along their shared borders. The Forum reiterated its strong support for the establishment of state police and called on the National Assembly to expedite the enactment of the necessary legal framework to ensure its realization.
Welcoming the Governors, Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, underscored the importance of continued collaboration among Northern states to address developmental setbacks.
He highlighted the urgent need for a renewed and unified approach to tackling the twin crises of poverty and insecurity, which have left millions displaced and trapped in cycles of economic hardship.
Governor Sani remarked that while individual and collective efforts had been made by state governments, the gravity of the region’s current reality requires more than piecemeal solutions.
He described Northern Nigeria, once renowned for its vast agricultural wealth and resilience, as now bearing the greatest burden of insecurity and economic stagnation. He emphasized the need for decisive, united, and sustained action to reverse the negative trend.
The meeting also featured remarks from the Chairman of the Northern Traditional Rulers Council, His Eminence Muhammadu Saad Abubakar, the Sultan of Sokoto, who affirmed the unwavering commitment of the region’s traditional institutions to peace, stability, and development.
He noted that while insecurity is a global concern, the challenges facing Northern Nigeria are particularly acute and demand urgent collective intervention.
The Sultan decried the widespread killings and violence in states such as Benue, Plateau, Niger, and Sokoto, describing the situation as unacceptable. He expressed confidence in the current crop of Northern Governors, based on their demonstrated commitment and individual engagements with him, and called for a united Northern front in confronting the region’s shared challenges for the greater good of Nigeria.
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