Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State has reaffirmed the commitment of Northern governors to addressing challenges facing the region and leveraging its vast resources for sustainable development.
Yahaya stated this on Monday in Bauchi while chairing the 11th Annual Memorial Lecture of Sir Ahmadu Bello, Sardauna of Sokoto, at the Banquet Hall of the Bauchi State Government House.
He identified key challenges such as inadequate infrastructure, high unemployment, and persistent poverty, stressing the need for collective action to address them.
“The issues affecting our region are profound, but I want to assure you that, as individual state governors and collectively as the Northern Governors’ Forum, we are committed to addressing these challenges head-on,” he said.
“Northern Nigeria is a treasure trove of untapped and underutilized human and natural resources. By harnessing these assets, we can effectively address the issues and propel the region onto a path of sustainable development,” he added.
Yahaya noted that insecurity remains a major challenge, varying across sub-regions, citing banditry and kidnapping in the Northwest, ethno-religious crises in the North-central, and insurgency in the Northeast.
He attributed many of these conflicts to resource competition, particularly over land and grazing areas, emphasizing the need for state-specific solutions aligned with the collective vision of the Northern Governors’ Forum.
The governor also highlighted the importance of structured development planning, referencing his administration’s 10-year plan, DEVAGOM, which aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“As Chairman of the Northern Governors’ Forum, I will ensure that every state without a development plan adopts one, as this will be a key agenda in our next meeting,” he said.
He further announced the revival and restructuring of the New Nigeria Development Company (NNDC) into a profit-oriented enterprise, adding that Northern governors would inject substantial funds to drive regional economic growth.
In his remarks, Gov. Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State commended Yahaya’s leadership in the region and the Northern Governors’ Forum, urging unity in tackling challenges facing the North.
Speaking on the theme “Nature’s Bounty: Turning Northern Nigeria’s Untapped Resources into Sustainable Prosperity,” former Minister of Finance, Dr. Mansur Mukhtar, OFR, stressed the need for investment in agriculture, education, and human capital development.
He said Northern Nigeria had vast resources that, if well harnessed, could address many of its socio-economic challenges.
Chairman of the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation Board of Trustees, former Niger State Governor Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, CON, reiterated the foundation’s commitment to upholding the Sardauna’s “One North” philosophy.
The event featured the presentation of scholarship awards to students from the Northeast and the unveiling of a portrait of the late premier of Northern Nigeria.
Yahaya was accompanied by Rt. Hon. Sadam Bello, Deputy Speaker of the Gombe State House of Assembly, and Alhaji Nasiru Mohammed Aliyu, mni, Commissioner for Trade, Investment, and Tourism, among other officials.
