President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has restated his administration’s commitment to dismantling the networks of bandits and terrorist groups ravaging Northern Nigeria, declaring that no part of the country will be abandoned to violence under his watch.
Speaking through the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajuddeen Abbas, at the 25th Anniversary of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) in Kaduna, the President said the North is confronting “one of the gravest tests in its history,” with insecurity eroding communal values and deepening social fractures.
Despite describing the complexity of the inherited security crisis as “daunting,” Tinubu maintained that his resolve to end the menace remains unwavering. He said the region is on the cusp of economic renewal, buoyed by the anticipated exploitation of crude oil at the Kolmani fields and other emerging prospects across the North.
He warned that Nigeria’s progress is tied to the stability of the region. “No part of the national body can be paralysed while we expect the country to thrive,” he added.
Tinubu hailed the ACF for its 25-year contribution to shaping discourse in the region, describing the forum as a gathering of “patriots, moral leaders and negotiators” who have defended the aspirations of millions. He urged leaders to embrace responsibility and resist the temptation to prioritise personal comfort over public duty.
“The North has not failed,” he said, “but it could fail if leaders retreat from their obligation to be their brothers’ keepers.”
The President noted that rebuilding broken trust is crucial to restoring peace, warning that insecurity, economic stagnation and widening educational gaps will persist without renewed social harmony. He highlighted ongoing interventions, including accelerated road, rail and river transport projects, citing the Abuja–Kaduna–Kano Superhighway as a flagship that will soon be commissioned in Kano.
Tinubu also described the ACF Endowment Fund as a visionary initiative capable of strengthening the region’s future through girl-child education, youth empowerment and conflict resolution.
Northern leaders at the event echoed similar concerns, warning that unity and peace remain the region’s most endangered assets.
Former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, represented by former Vice-President Mohammed Sambo, said extremists continue to exploit divisions within northern communities. He stressed that “without unity we fracture, without peace we stagnate,” urging the reinstatement of the core values upon which the ACF was founded.
ACF Board of Trustees Chairman, Alhaji Bashir Dalhatu, lamented persistent attacks, abductions and the closure of hundreds of boarding schools, describing them as symptoms of a region “under siege.” He said the consequences of government inaction would be “too frightening to contemplate,” urging more decisive collaboration between traditional leaders, governors and security agencies.
Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani, represented by Deputy Governor Dr Hadiza Balarabe, reaffirmed Kaduna’s commitment to peace and rural development, outlining the Kaduna Peace Model as a governance approach integrating security, infrastructure, urban planning and environmental reforms.
Meanwhile, Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin lauded President Tinubu for what he described as unwavering support for northern interests, noting that every request taken to the President had received prompt attention. He urged northern leaders to leverage the President’s goodwill and align their efforts to overcome longstanding security challenges.
“If the Southwest can become the safest part of the country today, then we too can do it,” he said, calling for stronger collaboration among northern governors, lawmakers and the ACF leadership.
Barau urged the ACF to convene more inclusive security dialogues, stressing the strategic influence of federal lawmakers in securing funding and policy backing. He highlighted the presence of committed northern ministers and a dedicated Secretary to the Government of the Federation as assets the region must maximise.
Congratulating the ACF on its 25th anniversary, he said the next chapter requires mobilising collective strength, deepening resilience and forging a united front with a President who “remains firmly aligned with the aspirations of the North.”
