- Tinubu says terrorism and banditry in Northern Nigeria will be eliminated under his administration.
- Warns that Nigeria cannot progress while a key region remains unstable and economically weakened.
- Assures that new oil prospects and major infrastructure projects will revive the North’s economy.
- Calls Northern leaders to embrace unity, responsibility and the founding ideals of the ACF.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has restated his determination to dismantle terrorist and bandit networks operating across Northern Nigeria, promising that his administration will not stand by while any region of the country continues to bleed.
Speaking at the 25th Anniversary of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) in Kaduna, the President, represented by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajuddeen Abbas said the security crisis inherited by his government was deeply complex, but not beyond solution. He emphasised that his resolve to end the scourge remains urgent and unwavering.
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Tinubu said the North is facing one of the most difficult chapters in its history, marked by rising insecurity, moral decline, and the breakdown of communal values that once defined the region. According to him, Nigeria cannot prosper when the North remains unstable, stressing that the region’s peace is vital to the country’s wider progress.
He praised the Arewa Consultative Forum for acting as the conscience of Northern Nigeria for 25 years, describing the body as a gathering of statesmen, thinkers, and moral leaders who have defended the region’s interests during challenging periods. He added that the North’s success will rely more on the strength of its institutions than on individual personalities.
Tinubu also assured that the long-running economic stagnation in the North will be reversed. He expressed optimism about the future, noting that crude oil from the Kolmani fields and other emerging prospects across the North will unlock major economic opportunities. According to him, the region is on the brink of a turnaround if leaders remain focused and united.
He warned that leadership must come with moral responsibility, insisting that failure begins the moment leaders turn away from the suffering of ordinary people. Tinubu said the North has not failed, but could fail if its leaders retreat from their duty to secure communities, protect the vulnerable, and rebuild trust.
The President expressed confidence that unity remains the North’s greatest asset. Without it, he said, security strategies will falter, economic opportunities will shrink, and the region’s political relevance will diminish. With unity, however, he believes the North can overcome any challenge.
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Tinubu highlighted ongoing and upcoming projects in the North, particularly accelerated road, rail, and river transport developments. Chief among them is the Abuja–Kaduna–Kano Superhighway, which he promised will be completed and commissioned soon.
He commended the proposed ACF Endowment Fund as a far-sighted plan designed to secure the region’s long-term progress, especially in areas such as girl-child education, youth skills development, peacebuilding, and conflict resolution, key pillars aligned with national development goals.
The President urged Northern political leaders, traditional institutions, and civil society groups to recommit to the region’s founding values of courage, fairness, justice, and collective responsibility. He concluded by calling on the ACF to continue serving as the region’s moral compass, stressing that the North has the capacity to restore stability, rebuild its economy, and remain a central pillar of Nigeria’s unity.
