The political and civic leadership of Northern Nigeria converged in Kaduna on Tuesday for a landmark assessment of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, an event that laid bare deep divisions within the region over claims of marginalisation and the performance of the Federal Government.
While some stakeholders lauded Tinubu’s developmental strides and appointments in the North, others voiced strong concerns over what they described as growing neglect, insecurity, and economic exclusion under his watch.
Held at the historic Arewa House and convened by the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation, the two-day engagement brought together a powerful mix of former governors, traditional rulers, ministers, civil society leaders, and technocrats from across the 19 northern states.
Themed “Assessing Electoral Promises: Fostering Government-Citizen Engagement for National Unity,” the forum, on Tuesday, became a platform for both praise and protest.
Among attendees on Tuesday were Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, Ministers of Information, Mohammed Idris, Defence, Mohammed Badaru, Defence (State), Bello Matawalle, National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Christopher Musa, Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar, all appointees of President Tinubu from the North.
There has been growing dissent in the North over claims of marginalisation of the region in the scheme of things by the present administration.
The 2023 presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party, Dr Rabiu Kwankwaso, renewed the call last week at the constitution review public hearing, where he accused Tinubu’s administration of sidelining the northern region.
He alleged that national resources were being disproportionately channelled towards developing the South, the President’s home region.
He was swiftly rebutted by the Presidency and the Minister of Works, David Umahi, who listed ongoing projects in the North.
Kwankwaso’s call followed similar sentiments by many groups and associations in the North, including the coalition political party, the African Democratic Congress.
Addressing the gathering on behalf of the President on Tuesday, Akume said the Tinubu administration’s “Renewed Hope Agenda” was more than campaign rhetoric.
“Let me be clear: the Renewed Hope Agenda is not a slogan. It is a working governance blueprint structured around key principles — transparency, accountability, equity, participation and the rule of law,” Akume said.
He hailed the late Sardauna of Sokoto as a beacon of responsible leadership, saying the administration seeks to emulate his values.
He listed eight core pillars under the Renewed Hope framework: economic reform, national security, agriculture, infrastructure, energy, education, diversification and governance reform.
Akume highlighted tough but necessary decisions, particularly the fuel subsidy removal and foreign exchange unification, as bold moves that had saved trillions of naira and begun repositioning the economy.
He then urged northern leaders to show restraint and rally behind Tinubu’s government.
Ribadu said Nigeria was in good hands under Tinubu, judging from what he had done to stabilise the region following the security challenges.
The Chairman of the Northern States Governors’ Forum and Governor of Gombe State, Inuwa Yahaya, said the North must not shy away from demanding results from a government it overwhelmingly supported.
“The North gave President Tinubu over 60 per cent of the votes that brought him to power. That support must be matched with expectations and accountability,” Yahaya declared.
He said the engagement wasn’t a political jamboree but a platform for “democratic stocktaking.”
“Candidate Bola Tinubu made promises to us—specific commitments tailored to the needs of Northern Nigeria. This gathering is about checking whether those promises are being kept,” the governor stated.
Despite biting economic hardship, Yahaya noted that Tinubu’s government had made “visible strides” in the Northern region.
He listed key ongoing projects as: Abuja–Kaduna–Kano Expressway; Kano–Katsina–Maradi rail line; Kaduna Refinery rehabilitation; Abuja–Kaduna–Kano Gas pipeline, and the Kolmani oilfields exploration.
“These projects are vital for industrial takeoff and energy security in the North,” he said.
Yahaya also cited the new Sokoto–Badagry superhighway and agricultural value chain initiatives as signs of focused federal attention on the region.
“Thanks to Mr President’s Renewed Hope Agenda, many of these projects that had stalled are now progressing rapidly,” he said.
On security, Yahaya said federal forces had intensified efforts in the North West and North East, leading to the neutralisation of over 300 bandits and insurgent commanders.
Yahaya admitted that economic reforms, particularly subsidy removal and forex liberalisation, inflicted hardship on citizens.
“Yes, the pain is real. But so is the progress. These are necessary sacrifices to stabilise the economy for future prosperity,” he said.
Former Niger State Governor and Chairman of the foundation’s Board of Trustees, Dr Babangida Aliyu, challenged the northern elite to stop “sitting and watching” while the region slid.
He accused many leaders of complicity through silence.
“These problems did not start with Tinubu. But if we remain quiet now, we are just as guilty,” he said.
Aliyu lamented the depth of poverty, insecurity and illiteracy plaguing the North.
“From insurgency to out-of-school children, banditry to food inflation—the North is in crisis,” he said.
He stressed that the region’s future depended on citizen inclusion in governance.
According to him, the government must restore trust through transparency and communication.
“Democracy cannot thrive without dialogue. We must empower citizens to question, engage and contribute to policy making,” he added.
ACF slams Tinubu
The Arewa Consultative Forum declared its disappointment with Tinubu’s administration, accusing it of neglect and marginalisation.
The ACF board chairman, Alhaji Bashir Dalhatu, reeled out a litany of issues bedevilling the region, ranging from rising insecurity, dwindling agricultural support, poor infrastructure and electricity supply, to neglect in the education and healthcare sectors.
Dalhatu lamented what he described as an alarming indifference to the region’s concerns, despite repeated engagements with the Presidency and key stakeholders.
On insecurity, Dalhatu noted that the North was facing unprecedented levels of violence, with insurgent groups multiplying and attacks becoming more deadly.
The ACF chairman also expressed concern about the Federal Government’s allocation to agriculture, which remains below five per cent of the total budget, far short of the 25 per cent target set by the Food and Agriculture Organisation.
Other areas of concern included the development of transportation infrastructure, electricity supply, education, and healthcare.
Dalhatu called on the President to demonstrate a commitment to addressing the region’s challenges, including by increasing funding for critical sectors and implementing policies that promote economic development.
“It has to be stated, and I hope this is self-evident, that Northern Nigeria has related to Asiwaju Bola Tinubu with enthusiasm, accommodation and goodwill.
“Northerners went out en masse on the 25th of February, 2023, and cast their ballots for Bola Tinubu.
“In the event, 5.6 million out of the total 8.8 million votes he got (or 64 per cent), came from the North.
“And yet, two years into the four-year tenure of President Tinubu, the feeling among the people of the North is, to put it mildly, completely mixed.
“To our surprise, those who did not support him and hardly wished him well have emerged from nowhere and are trying to push a wedge between him and the North,” he said.
He added that, “Whether or not they are succeeding, we do not know. But we can not pretend not to observe that President Tinubu’s budget priorities, his infrastructural projects, his appointments and other executive actions, have, over the last two years, largely sidelined Northern Nigeria.”
He said nothing or little was being done to address the major issues of concern to the North, details of which were presented to him in writing by various groups over the years.
“Mr Chairman, due to the critical importance of this subject matter and for the benefit of our distinguished guests from Abuja, I wish to seek your indulgence to take a few moments to mention a few of these issues we have raised repeatedly with Mr President over the course of our interactions.
“Insecurity: As to be expected, our biggest concern was and remains insecurity in Northern Nigeria. We stressed the fact that over the last decade, widespread violence, characterised by massacres, bombings, cattle rustling, kidnapping and other manifestations of conflict and insecurity, has swept across Northern Nigeria, crippling almost all productive economic activities, to say nothing of social progress.
“Even as we speak, this crisis shows no signs of abating. The insurgent groups continue to multiply, their attacks becoming more deadly.
“With the possible exception of Kaduna and Bauchi states, the terror level everywhere in the North has continued to rise with each passing day.
“Unless the government takes decisive, strong, audacious and sustained measures, including the ones that address its root causes, particularly joblessness among the youth and deepening poverty, the insecurity crisis in Northern Nigeria can hardly ever be contained,” he said.
North breeding out-of-school children – NEF
On his part, the Chairman of the Northern Elders’ Forum, Prof Ango Abdullahi, warned that the continued sidelining of the region in federal budgeting and infrastructure development posed grave dangers to national unity and progress.
The elder statesman described the region’s situation as nothing short of a national emergency, particularly in the areas of education, infrastructure, and economic inclusion.
Abdullahi, a former vice-chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, lamented the failure of successive administrations to address the North’s growing population of out-of-school children.
He blamed the crisis on inadequate funding and misplaced national priorities.
“We have 20 million out-of-school children in Nigeria, 80 per cent of them are from Northern Nigeria,” he said.
He added, “If just half of the N15tn national budget were allocated to education, we would have no child out of school. That money would provide schools, teachers, and equipment.”
He said that despite the magnitude of the crisis, the North continued to receive a disproportionately low share of education funding.
“This is not just a northern problem. It is a national disaster. An uneducated population is a threat to all,” he warned.
The NEF chairman, who said he recently toured parts of the Northeast, also described the region’s road infrastructure as “the worst in the country.”
“Some of the roads are not just bad—they don’t even exist. You can’t talk about national development when a whole region remains disconnected. There must be an intentional drive to fix our roads if we are serious about equity,” he said.
He proposed a simple yet bold solution: “Let’s be serious. If we use N7.5tn for education and N7.5tn for roads in the North, we’d solve two of our biggest problems.”
Abdullahi also expressed strong reservations about the recent relocation of key departments of the Central Bank of Nigeria from Abuja to Lagos, describing the move as suspicious and divisive.
“Why the sudden relocation of CBN departments? Why the mass retirements? And why were 15 new directors recently employed, with only four from Northern Nigeria?” he asked.
He said the decision sends a troubling message to Northern Nigerians, many of whom already feel marginalised under the current administration.
“These are not coincidences. They are decisions with consequences, and the North is watching,” he said.
According to him, the Northern Elders’ Forum would be formally writing to President Tinubu to demand clarification on the recent appointments and policy decisions, which, he said, appeared designed to weaken northern participation in the federal structure.
Abdullahi did not stop at criticism. He also laid out a roadmap for equitable development, starting with the decentralisation of industrial growth.
“If we truly want to develop Nigeria, then Northern Nigeria must be industrialised in line with its natural strengths—agriculture being one,” he said.
He urged the Federal Government to set up agro-allied processing zones across northern states, arguing that industrialisation anchored on agriculture would lift millions out of poverty and stabilise the region’s economy.
“It is time to spread development. Northern Nigeria cannot continue to serve only as a food basket without also being a value-adding zone,” he said.
The NEF chairman urged northerners to move from silence to active demand for their rights.
“We must be proactive. We will be asking questions. And this time, we expect answers,” he said.
Gov carpets leaders
Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, took a swipe at prominent northern political leaders, accusing them of shifting blame to President Tinubu for challenges that had long been festering under their watch.
He said the problems bedevilling the region — insecurity, poverty, and educational backwardness — were not created by the Tinubu administration but worsened by the negligence, silence, and inaction of the northern elite over the last two decades.
He warned that the era of “blame game” must end, urging northern leaders to take ownership of the region’s crisis and work collaboratively with the Tinubu government for solutions.
“This engagement must go beyond ceremonial speeches. It is a moment for deep reflection,” Sani said at the event.
According to him, the gathering was not a political jamboree but a chance to assess promises made by President Tinubu — and more importantly, evaluate the contributions or failings of northern stakeholders themselves.
“Yes, President Tinubu made promises. But let us be honest with ourselves: he has kept faith with the North in many critical areas — security, agriculture, education, and economic inclusion.
“The real question is, have we kept faith with our people as northern leaders?”
He criticised the selective memory of some northern politicians who, according to him, kept mute while the region’s socio-economic indicators plummeted, only to turn around and hold Tinubu responsible after just two years in office.
“For over 20 years, insecurity grew, education declined, and poverty deepened.
“Where were the loud voices now blaming Tinubu when these things took root? It is hypocrisy to now shift responsibility to a government that inherited decades of rot,” the governor said.
Sani noted that no president, no matter how visionary, could solve the North’s problems without active collaboration from state governments, traditional leaders and communities.
“We must stop waiting for Abuja to solve every problem. The North must rise and take charge of its own destiny,” he said.
Recalling the dire security situation in Kaduna before he took office in 2023, Sani said the state had been “almost overrun” by bandits and terrorists, with the Abuja-Kaduna expressway becoming a national symbol of insecurity.
He noted that his administration introduced the “Kaduna Peace Model,” a hybrid security and governance framework combining military operations, local vigilantes, community dialogue and institutional reforms, which, he said, had begun to yield results.
“If we had organised this same event last year, this hall would have been empty. People would have stayed away in fear.
“Today, our rural areas are returning to life. Communities that were displaced are slowly returning. Federal support and local innovation made this possible,” he stated.
The governor also addressed the issue of financial exclusion, describing it as a quiet crisis holding millions of northerners back from full participation in economic life.
He revealed that upon assuming office, over 65 per cent of people in the Northwest were locked out of formal financial systems.
“We signed an executive order that targets 2.5 million vulnerable residents for inclusion into financial services. This is being done through partnerships with banks, fintechs and civil society,” he said.
He emphasised that access to finance was not just about money, but “a tool of dignity, empowerment and national integration.”
Governor Sani gave President Tinubu credit for rolling out programmes that were already benefiting Northern Nigeria, particularly in the education and agriculture sectors.
He praised the student loan scheme and vocational education drive, which he said had begun equipping Northern youth with employable skills.
“These are not just federal policies. They are lifelines to millions of young people in the North,” he noted.
On agriculture, he lauded Tinubu’s intervention in farming inputs, irrigation schemes and market access, saying northern farmers had never had it better.
“No president in Nigeria’s history has supported subnational governments in agricultural transformation like Tinubu is doing right now,” he said.
Sani pointed out that for the first time in recent history, top-ranking federal officials, including ministers, security chiefs and agency heads, were physically present at a regional policy dialogue, signalling genuine interest in northern development.
“This is unprecedented. When last did we see such a coordinated presence of federal actors in one hall to discuss the future of the North? This is a positive sign. Let us not squander it,” he said.
He urged his fellow governors and northern elites to drop political posturing and focus on developmental cooperation.
“We have no reason to complain. We have every reason to unite. Let us get to work,” he said. (Punch)
