Inseparable Nigeria depends on secure north – Tinubu

Inseparable Nigeria depends on secure north – Tinubu

President Bola Tinubu has said that the indivisibilty of Nigeria depends on a secure northern Nigeria.

The president represented by the Minister of Finance and Cordinating Minister of Economy, Mr Wale Edun, stated this on Monday during a two-day Northern Nigeria Investment and Industrialisation Summit at Abuja Continental Hotel, on the theme, ‘Unlocking Strategic Opportunities in Mining, Agriculture and Power’ organised by the Northern Elders Forum (NEF).

The president noted that there was need to ignite the power inherent in northern Nigeria by unlocking the potentials in the region.

He recognised the ability of the private sector to help out in the transformation in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda.

“Northern Nigeria is at the cornerstone of putting smiles on the faces of Nigerians as no country can sustain growth without lifting people out of poverty. Our agriculture, mining and industrial base depend on how we unlock our potentials,” he said.

He said gladly, the federal government through numerous economic policies put in place has already started seeing the evidences of an improved economy, ranging from a stabilised naira, fall in the prizes of foodstuff and reduction in inflation.

He disclosed that for the first time in 10 years, the nation’s GDP has risen by 2.6 percent while industrial growth for jobs creation has also doubled.

Earlier, the convener of the summit, Prof Ango Abdullahi, represented by Air-Marshal Al’amin Daggash, (rtd) said the backbone of Northern Nigeria’s economy, from colonial times through the early years of independence, was agriculture and an extensive network of rail lines that facilitated the movement of groundnuts, cotton, hides and skins and solid minerals to the coastal states, predominantly Lagos for export.

Northern Nigeria, he said, is blessed with abundant mineral wealth, fertile land and vibrant human capital, but without modern infrastructure in the form of railways, roads, power and storage, he said, the full value of those resources cannot be realised.

He said for government policies to deliver meaningful impacts, there must be deliberate commitment to the mining sector and its related services.

“We are home to over 160 million people, including nearly 90 million youths—Nigeria’s largest demographic bloc.

“We hold 75% of Nigeria’s arable land, making us the nation’s food basket.

“We are richly endowed with over 44 solid minerals, including gold, lithium, uranium, coal, oil, and gas.

“Harnessing these resources is not just about regional growth, it is about national stability, industrialisation and global competitiveness,” he said.

The north, he said, must walk with determination, unity and vision in order to explore its potentials.

There were goodwill messages from governors from the region, especially Dauda Lawal of Zamfara and Engr. Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa state as well as the governors of Niger and Bauchi states, represented by their deputies.

The summit ends on Tuesday September 30, 2025.