Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani has sounded the alarm over the North’s escalating crises, highlighting the region’s severe poverty, high numbers of out-of-school children, and pervasive insecurity. Speaking on Monday, Sani declared that the North faces an existential threat that demands urgent and collective action.
Addressing a delegation from the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) led by its Chairman, Mamman Mike Osuman, at the Sir Kashim Ibrahim Government House in Kaduna, Sani expressed deep concern over the region’s plight. “The development is quite disturbing and must worry all those who still care for the North and Nigeria in general,” he remarked.
Sani cited data from the National Bureau of Statistics and UNICEF to underscore the severity of the issues. “The National Bureau of Statistics’ survey revealed that 63% of persons living within Nigeria, about 133 million people, are multidimensionally poor. Sixty-five percent of the poor, 86 million people, live in the North, while 35%, nearly 47 million, live in the South,” he noted.
The educational crisis is equally alarming. “The United Nations Children’s Fund puts the number of out-of-school children in Nigeria at 18.3 million. Of this outrageous number, about 70% are in the North,” Sani added.
The governor stressed that insecurity has exacerbated these problems, hindering development in critical sectors and preventing many farmers from accessing their lands. “Food insecurity now confronts us directly. Child and maternal mortality are on the increase. Our infrastructure has decayed. Efforts to address our infrastructural deficits are equally threatened by insecurity,” he lamented.
Sani’s depiction of the North’s challenges paints a bleak picture. “From this very disturbing picture, it is clear that northern Nigeria faces an existential threat. This is therefore a time for all hands to be on deck to pull the region back from the brink,” he urged. He called for unity and decisive action to develop a comprehensive plan for the North’s revival.
He also emphasised the need for the ACF to shift its focus from politics to development, commending the Forum for its efforts to promote and protect the interests of northern Nigeria despite the region’s diversity.
Sani refuted claims that President Bola Tinubu is against the North, dismissing such narratives as political manipulation. “The government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been giving uncommon support to state governments in the North to address their myriad challenges. The narrative that President Tinubu is against the North is false, absurd, and unbecoming,” he asserted.
The governor expressed his willingness to partner with the ACF on initiatives that benefit the North and handed over documents for an office complex donated by the Kaduna State Government. He emphasised the importance of leadership in uniting the North and mobilising its people for a brighter future.
Earlier, ACF Chairman Osuman reiterated the Forum’s commitment to promoting peace, unity, and progress in northern Nigeria, acknowledging the region’s significant challenges with poverty, insecurity, and poor human development indices. Sani encouraged collaboration to develop a “Marshall Plan” for the region’s development, expressing optimism that the North would rise again.