Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has reaffirmed his administration’s resolve to crush banditry and terrorism across Northern Nigeria, declaring that no part of the country will be allowed to “bleed in silence” under his watch.
Speaking in Kaduna at the 25th Anniversary of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), President Tinubu, who was represented by Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajuddeen Abbas, said that his government inherited a deeply layered and sophisticated security crisis, and that he remains determined to restore peace with urgency and firmness.
Tinubu warned that Nigeria cannot attain meaningful progress if a critical region such as the North remains “paralysed”, stressing that the stability of the region was indispensable to the peace and prosperity of the federation.
He praised the Forum for 25 years of service as the conscience of the North, describing the forum as a reservoir of thinkers, patriots, mediators and moral voices who have defended the interests of millions.
According to him, the North is facing one of the gravest tests in its history, corroded security, collapsing communal ethics and a weakened moral compass, but insisted the region has not failed.
“It will only fail if leaders retreat from their responsibility to be their brothers’ keepers,” he said, adding that leadership loses relevance the day leaders sleep peacefully while millions sleep hungry or travel in fear.
The Nigerian President expressed optimism that the North is on the verge of an economic turnaround, with the anticipated rollout of crude oil from the Kolmani fields and other emerging prospects across the region.
He listed some ongoing interventions, including accelerated rail, road and water transport projects, and disclosed that the Abuja–Kaduna–Kano Superhighway would be completed and commissioned in Kano in the coming months.
Tinubu also commended the proposed ACF Endowment Fund, describing it as a visionary step with its focus on girl-child education, youth skills development, peacebuilding and conflict resolution.
He urged Northern leaders in politics, traditional institutions and civil society to recommit to the values on which the ACF was founded—courage, justice, fairness and collective responsibility, emphasising that unity remains the region’s strongest weapon.
“With unity, there is no challenge the North cannot overcome,” he added.
GIK/APA