The Northern States Governors Forum (NSGF), under the leadership of Governor Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State, convened a crucial joint security meeting in Kaduna with the 19 state governors and first-class emirs and chiefs from the Northern Region. Governor Yahaya lamented the alarming escalation of insecurity in the North, which has transformed from a localized challenge into a national and existential threat, endangering the present and mortgaging the future of the region. This pressing situation necessitates urgent and concerted action, with a strong emphasis on establishing state police as a critical and effective mechanism to address the security challenges bedeviling the country. The governors of the 19 Northern States have reaffirmed their support for the swift implementation of state policing reform.

Governor Yahaya meticulously outlined the multifaceted reasons contributing to the pervasive insecurity across the Northern region. These deep-seated problems include widespread underdevelopment, high rates of illiteracy, weak infrastructure, crippling lack of opportunities, high unemployment, environmental degradation, and poor resource management. These factors, he noted, significantly exacerbate existing tensions, fuel conflicts over dwindling resources, and severely deprive rural communities of their very livelihoods. He stressed that these challenges spare no one, consuming both the poor and the rich, Muslims and Christians, and the young and the old.

The forum particularly highlighted the devastating impact of insecurity on education, recognizing it as the bedrock of children’s future and the fulcrum of socioeconomic development. Terrorists, by targeting schools and farms, aim to cripple the very tools that empower the youth and secure collective progress. Governor Yahaya urgently called upon all stakeholders to work collaboratively with the Federal Government, security agencies, and local and international partners to implement necessary measures for protecting schools and ensuring a safe environment where children can pursue education and society can carry out livelihood activities without fear.

While acknowledging the gravity of the situation, Governor Yahaya commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his decisive leadership and efforts, which led to the prompt release of some kidnapped victims in parts of the region. He urged the President not to relent, emphasizing the forum's unwavering support for ongoing efforts to secure the safe return of all those still held in captivity and their swift reunion with families. The governors remain resolute in their commitment to collaborate with the federal government, security agencies, and local authorities to secure lives and property, including school environments, while also advocating for constructive international cooperation that respects Nigeria’s territorial integrity, dignity, and sovereignty.

The meeting also underscored the importance of resisting divisive narratives. Governor Yahaya warned against injecting religious and ethnic undertones into the security challenges, stating that such simplistic, one-sided narratives undermine national cohesion and entrench divisions, playing directly into the hands of the enemies whose objective is to sow discord and distrust. He emphasized that now is not the time for politics, but for concerted action for the survival of the North and Nigeria at large, asserting that without peace and security, there would be no state or country to govern.

Various leaders at the meeting emphasized the collective responsibility required to tackle these issues. Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani highlighted the governors' strategies, including peer review mechanisms, aimed at good governance. The Sultan of Sokoto and Chairman of the Northern Traditional Rulers Council, Abubakar Sa’ad, assured the governors of the traditional institutions' continued support, while also noting the imperative for governors to ensure effective service delivery rooted in good governance. Achieving sustainable peace, Governor Yahaya added, requires a multi-faceted approach from every segment of society. Traditional Rulers must act as stabilizers and foster social harmony. Religious Leaders have a sacred duty to be messengers of peace and love. Political leaders must be agents of development, refraining from exploiting ethnic and religious divisions. Security and law enforcement agencies must maintain proactive vigilance, and judicial authorities must ensure swift criminal justice. Crucially, the general public must recognize that security is everyone’s business.

To return Northern Nigeria to the path of stability and prosperity, Governor Yahaya called for massive investment in human capital development, critical infrastructure like roads, railways, and power lines, and socioeconomic opportunities. He specifically highlighted the Almajiri and out-of-school children issue, calling it unacceptable and a stain on the collective conscience, urging decisive and coordinated actions to ensure every child is in school and equipped with necessary skills. The challenges are local, and their solutions, to a large extent, lie within the region's political and traditional leaders. The forum’s commitment to state policing reform remains a cornerstone of this local solution. Future generations, Yahaya concluded, will remember leaders not just by projects commissioned, but by whether they bequeathed a Northern Nigeria where people can move freely, with guaranteed security, safety, wellbeing, and prosperity.