Zainab Ali
President Bola Tinubu has described insecurity as the most troubling challenge confronting Nigeria, particularly the Northern region.
Speaking on Saturday in Kaduna, at the 25th Anniversary of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) and the launch of its Endowment Fund, Tinubu—represented by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas—said urgent efforts were needed to rebuild trust, strengthen unity, and restore safety across communities.
Tinubu said his administration inherited complex security problems but was tackling them with “urgency and determination.”
> “Nothing troubles me more gravely than the security crisis bedevilling Nigeria, especially Northern Nigeria.
We cannot prosper when one limb of the national body is paralysed,” he said.
The president stated that the government remained committed to eliminating terrorist and bandit groups operating in the North and reversing the region’s economic decline. He expressed optimism about the North’s economic prospects, adding that he looked forward to the day crude oil tankers would roll out from Kolmani and other northern oil fields.
Tinubu also disclosed that key infrastructure projects, including the Abuja–Kaduna–Kano Superhighway, were being fast-tracked for completion and commissioning.
He urged leaders in the region to speak with honest and courageous voices, warning that progress would remain elusive if vulnerable communities were not protected.
> “We fail the day we sleep comfortably while millions sleep with empty bellies, the day fear becomes a permanent companion for travellers,” he said.
Tinubu acknowledged that decades of dysfunction had strained national unity, but noted that the diversity on display at the ACF’s Silver Jubilee reflected a collective resolve to resist division and restore solidarity.
He praised the ACF for serving as the conscience of Northern Nigeria for 25 years, consistently defending dignity, fairness, and equality for millions. He described the celebration as one of courage, advocacy, and principled service.
Tinubu urged leaders across sectors to recommit to the values that guided the ACF’s founding, stressing that the unity and stability of the North were critical to Nigeria’s overall peace and development.