By NAN
A group of northern stakeholders convened in Abuja for a strategic meeting aimed at shaping a shared vision for the region’s future ahead of a larger conference planned for July in Kaduna.
Held at the Shehu Musa Yar’adua Centre, the meeting attracted participants from across the 19 northern states and the FCT.
The gathering focused on key areas including education, youth empowerment, security, and infrastructure development issues seen as central to the region’s long-term stability and prosperity.
Speaking at the meeting, Alhaji Murtala Aliyu, National Secretary of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), underscored the need for unity and a collective approach to solving the North’s challenges. He said the time had come for the region to rise above divisions and confront its realities head-on.
“If the North is unstable, Nigeria is unstable and if Nigeria is not stable, West Africa is not stable,”
Aliyu commended governors who have made education a central pillar in their development agenda and urged more leaders to follow suit, noting that human capital development was the key to breaking the cycles of poverty and insecurity that have long plagued the region.
“We cannot afford to keep repeating the same mistakes. We must chart a new course for future generations, we need to take ownership of our problems. No one is coming to save us, the solutions must come from within.”
The meeting also highlighted the growing role of youth in shaping Northern Nigeria’s future.
Mr Sadiq Fakai, convener of Arewa 100% Focus, described the initiative as a platform for young people from different fields to come together, share ideas, and contribute meaningfully to regional progress.
“We all agree that Northern Nigeria faces numerous challenges, and as young people, we must ask ourselves what role we can play to add value. This is not about politics m, it is about a shared responsibility to our region,” he said.
The meeting served as a critical step in mobilizing ideas and commitment ahead of the Kaduna conference. With growing interest and engagement, organizers say they are positive that the regional initiative will inspire collective action and help set Northern Nigeria on a path toward inclusive and sustainable development.
NEWS AGENCY OF NIGERIA
