At their 11th meeting in Damaturu on Saturday, the Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF) urged President Tinubu to review Nigeria’s counter-insurgency strategies amid resurgent Boko Haram attacks in the North-East and escalating communal violence in the North-Central.
Chairman Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State read a nine-point communiqué stressing that insecurity must be tackled alongside youth unemployment, poor infrastructure, and widespread poverty.
The governors commended federal efforts but warned that recent setbacks require “greater synergy between federal, state, and local security architectures.”
They lamented deteriorating federal roads that hinder troop movements and economic recovery, urging the president to prioritise completion of abandoned road projects.
The forum pledged to attract investments in agriculture, renewable energy, climate adaptation, and vocational training to provide jobs and undercut extremist recruitment.
They applauded the North-East Development Commission’s work but called for intensified stakeholder engagement and road infrastructure projects.
They also backed expansion of the Nigerian Law School’s Yola campus and committed to supporting Al-Majiri and out-of-school rehabilitation programs in each state.
Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna—whose state hosted the gathering—highlighted the Forum and the Northern Traditional Rulers’ Council as “united platforms” forging consensus despite regional diversity. The Forum’s next meeting is slated for July 27–29 in Jalingo, Taraba State.
