The President rejected suggestions that hope had been lost, stressing that the region’s diversity, ethnic and religious, remains a source of strength and resilience.
By Ife Osemedua
365Daily – President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Saturday declared that nothing weighs more heavily on his mind than the rising insecurity across Nigeria, particularly in the North, insisting that his administration is pursuing urgent, far-reaching solutions to restore stability and economic vitality to the region.
Speaking in Kaduna during the 25th Anniversary (Silver Jubilee) celebration of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) and the launch of the Forum’s Endowment Fund, the President, represented by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, said trust must be rebuilt for the nation to overcome its current security and economic challenges.
“Unless trust is rebuilt, security challenges will persist, economic stagnation will deepen, and educational deficits will widen,” Tinubu said in his keynote address titled A Generation Summoned by a Crisis.
According to him, although his administration inherited complex and deeply rooted security problems, it has set to work with “urgency and determination” to confront them.
“Nothing troubles me more gravely than the security crisis bedevilling Nigeria, especially Northern Nigeria,” he said. “Affliction in any part of the country is a setback for every part. We cannot prosper when one limb of the national body is paralysed.”
Tinubu noted that the “layers and sophistication” of the challenges were daunting but emphasised that Nigerians should take confidence in the government’s commitment to finding solutions.
He also rallied northern leaders to rise to the moment, insisting that the region now needs “honest, courageous voices” more than ever.
“Yes, there have been missteps. Yes, there have been moments of drift. But we cannot say the North has failed unless we abandon our responsibility to be our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers,” he said.
“We fail the day we sleep comfortably while millions sleep with empty bellies, the day fear becomes a permanent companion for travellers moving from one village to another.”
Despite the bleak realities, the President rejected suggestions that hope had been lost, stressing that the region’s diversity, ethnic and religious, remains a source of strength and resilience.
On the fight against terrorism and banditry, Tinubu reiterated the administration’s commitment to ending violence in the North and reigniting economic growth.
“We are not only determined to ensure that terrorist and bandit groups tormenting the North are eliminated; we are equally committed to reversing the region’s economic decline,” he declared.
The President expressed “unwavering optimism” in the North’s potential, saying he looks forward to the day “when the first tankers of crude oil from Kolmani and other Northern oil fields roll out.”
He highlighted ongoing federal efforts to upgrade the region’s infrastructure, including accelerated road, rail and river transport projects, with particular emphasis on the Abuja–Kaduna–Kano Superhighway, which he said would be inaugurated “in the coming months.”
Reflecting on the historical responsibility of each generation, Tinubu said Northern Nigeria is now confronted with a grave test—“the corrosion of security, the erosion of communal values, and the distortion of the moral compass that once held communities as one family.”
He said this moment demands collective reflection, courage and a recommitment to the principles that once held the region together.
The President paid glowing tribute to the ACF, describing it as a moral compass and stabilising force in national discourse over the past 25 years.
“For 25 years, the ACF has stood as an enduring conscience of Northern Nigeria,” he said. “It has assembled patriots, brilliant minds, moral fortresses, and selfless negotiators whose dedication has ensured that the North remains a central pillar in every serious national conversation.”
He added that the organisation has consistently championed dignity, fairness, and equality for the millions who call the region home.
The Silver Jubilee, he noted, is therefore a celebration of “courage, advocacy, and principled service by some of the finest voices the North has produced.”