Northern governors on Monday issued a grave warning that the region is dangerously close to losing its future as insecurity and poverty continue to worsen. The alarm was raised by the Chairman of the Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF) and Gombe State governor, Muhammadu Yahaya, during a joint meeting with the Northern Traditional Rulers Council in Kaduna.
Speaking before 19 governors, traditional rulers, security chiefs, and civil society leaders, Yahaya said the North is confronted with a “harsh reality of violence and deprivation” that threatens its stability and survival.
He stressed that history will judge today’s leaders not by their infrastructure projects, but by whether they secure a Northern Nigeria “future generations can proudly call home.”
Yahaya commended President Bola Tinubu for his “firm leadership” in matters of national security, especially recent rescue operations involving abducted schoolchildren. He extended condolences to families of victims kidnapped in Kebbi, Kwara, Kogi, Kano, Niger, and Sokoto, as well as those affected by Boko Haram attacks in Borno and Yobe.
Warning that insecurity “does not discriminate — rich or poor, Muslim or Christian,” he urged leaders to set aside political divisions and unite to protect the region.
The governor highlighted deep-rooted drivers of the crisis, including underdevelopment, widespread illiteracy, mismanaged resources, climate change pressures, and the neglect of millions of Almajiri and out-of-school children.
A key resolution from the meeting was a renewed demand for the creation of state police. Reaffirming the NSGF’s May 10, 2025 communique, the governors called on the National Assembly to expedite constitutional amendments needed to establish state policing as an effective security tool.
Traditional rulers were urged to use their influence to promote stability, while religious leaders were cautioned against inflammatory preaching. Political actors were reminded to stop weaponizing ethnic and religious differences.
Security agencies were encouraged to improve surveillance and response strategies, and the judiciary was advised to ensure faster criminal justice delivery.
In a joint statement, the governors pledged closer collaboration with the Federal Government under President Tinubu to restore peace and stability across Northern Nigeria.
