In a significant move to address the growing insecurity plaguing Northern Nigeria, the chairman of the Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF) and governor of Gombe state, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, has reaffirmed the collective concerns of the region’s governors to tackle the menace.
Governor Yahaya stated this while receiving a comprehensive report from the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG), which was prepared by the Experts Committee on insecurity in northern Nigeria.
The report is one of the key outcomes of a recently concluded roundtable meeting held in Abuja, aimed at finding lasting solutions to the security challenges in the region.
Governor Yahaya expressed deep concern over the impact of insecurity on the livelihoods of millions of Nigerians, particularly in the agricultural sector, which has been severely disrupted.
He noted that the resulting hike in food prices is affecting not only the Northern states but the entire nation.
“As Governors, we are deeply concerned about the security situation in Northern Nigeria.
“This region has the largest portion of the country’s population and is endowed with mineral resources and fertile soil ideal for farming. The region’s agricultural strength plays a significant role in ensuring food security in Nigeria.
“Unfortunately, the current insecurity is disrupting these activities, contributing to the rising cost of food commodities, which affects all Nigerians, not just those in the North,” Yahaya stated.
Under his leadership, the NSGF is planning to convene an expanded meeting that will bring together all relevant stakeholders, including past and present leaders, traditional rulers, security chiefs, and civil society organizations. The aim is to discuss and implement strategies that will restore the region’s stability and economic prosperity.
“This time around, we want to take a collective approach to the insecurity issue. This report is timely. We will study it and work together towards its implementation.
“We are currently planning to convene an expanded meeting with all critical stakeholders in the region to further explore how we can come together to propose solutions that will genuinely address these problems completely,” the governor said.
Leader of the CNG delegation, Bashir Yusuf Ibrahim, explained that the report presented was the result of a long and painstaking process that examined the evolving nature of insecurity in Northern Nigeria with the goal of proposing workable solutions.
The report includes an all society approach, introduced by the group, which aims to create synergy among stakeholders across the region in tackling insecurity.