In a renewed push to tackle insecurity and fast-track development in Northern Nigeria, the Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF) and the Northern Traditional Rulers Council (NTRC) held a high-level joint meeting today at the Sir Kashim Ibrahim House, Kaduna.
The well-attended gathering brought together governors from the 19 northern states, respected first-class traditional rulers, and senior government officials to deliberate on the worsening security challenges affecting the region and to explore strategic solutions on key areas such as agriculture, education, economic revitalization, and human capital development.
The host, Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, welcomed the delegates with a call for united action across political, ethnic, and religious lines to salvage the region. “This meeting is not just a formality. It is a necessity. The North is bleeding, and our people are looking up to us for answers,” he said.
The joint session featured frank discussions and contributions from governors, emirs, and stakeholders, all expressing concern over the rising wave of banditry, kidnapping, and rural displacement, particularly in states like Zamfara, Niger, Plateau, and parts of Kaduna and Katsina.
The leaders agreed that sustainable peace in the North cannot be achieved without genuine collaboration between elected officials and traditional authorities, who have historically served as grassroots stabilizers in their communities.
At the end of the meeting, a communique was read and signed by the Chairman of the Northern States Governors’ Forum and Governor of Gombe State, His Excellency, Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya. The communique outlined key resolutions, including:
A commitment to strengthening community policing structures with active involvement of traditional rulers;
Improved investment in agricultural value chains to create jobs and reduce poverty-driven crimes;
Renewed focus on education, particularly girl-child education and out-of-school children;
Support for regional economic integration and infrastructural development across the North;
Regular quarterly meetings between governors and traditional leaders to assess progress and respond to emerging threats.
Governor Yahaya emphasized that the forum would not allow the North to drift into further instability. “We are taking concrete steps to harmonize our strategies and deliver results that restore hope to our people. This partnership is the way forward,” he affirmed.
The meeting also paid tribute to security personnel who have lost their lives in the line of duty and called on the Federal Government to increase its support to states facing severe security pressures.
Observers see this renewed alliance between political and traditional institutions as a significant step toward restoring order and prosperity to Nigeria’s most populous and complex region.
