The Northern States Governors’ Forum (NGF), on Wednesday, declared that insecurity was “a stark and grievous reality,” destroying communities, weakening agriculture, discouraging investment, displacing families and threatening the future of the region.
Chairman of the NGF, Governor Muhammadu Yahaya, lamented this at the inauguration of the board in Kaduna, in a statement by his spokesperson, Ismaila Misilli.
He stated this during the inauguration of the Board of Trustees of the Northern Nigeria Security Trust Fund establishment to tackle the escalating insecurity in the region.
“If we are to win this battle, we must match our words with action, our concerns with resources, and our resolutions with proper implementation,” he said.
He told his colleagues that each northern state, alongside its local governments, would contribute ₦1bn monthly for 12 months to finance the Trust Fund.
“I wish to commend the states that have already begun redeeming their commitments,” he said.
“However, the task before us is too urgent and too important to be left to a few states alone. I therefore call, strongly and respectfully, on all my brother governors to redeem their pledges promptly and consistently.”
He said the trustees required adequate funding and institutional support to succeed, adding that “our commitment must be demonstrated not only in resolutions and communiqués, but also in timely and sustained financial contributions and actions.”
The governor clarified that the Security Trust Fund was designed to complement, not replace, existing national security structures.
“Its purpose is to support coordination, strengthen partnerships and enable the Northern States to make a more effective contribution to the national security efforts,” he said.
Yahaya argued that lasting peace would require tackling the root causes of insecurity, including poverty, unemployment, illiteracy and the growing number of out-of-school children.
“Security operations are necessary, but they must be reinforced by investment in education, livelihoods, agriculture, youth empowerment and skills development,” he said.
He also urged governments to protect farmers during the rainy season, prevent communal conflicts, and promote livestock transformation and modern agricultural practices to strengthen the economy.
Calling for unity among northern leaders, the governor assured the newly inaugurated trustees of the forum’s full support.
“I also call on our traditional rulers, religious leaders, community leaders, civil society organisations, the private sector, development partners and all people of goodwill to support this initiative,” he said.
“Security is not the responsibility of government alone. It is a collective duty, and every stakeholder has a role to play.”
Yahaya urged all stakeholders to “rise above narrow interests” and work together to restore confidence, strengthen collaboration with federal security agencies and build “a stronger, safer and more prosperous Northern Nigeria.”
The host governor, Uba Sani of Kaduna State, said the North had continued to benefit from strategic interventions of the Federal Government in transportation, agriculture, healthcare, education, energy, infrastructure and national security.
He said the interventions had laid “a solid foundation for long-term national growth and stability,” adding that the Northern governors would continue to work with the Federal Government to build a safer and more prosperous Nigeria.
Sani described the proposed establishment of state police as “an urgent and strategic imperative,” arguing that the current number of security personnel was inadequate to effectively police Nigeria’s vast territory.
“For many years, governors across party lines have advocated a policing architecture that is more responsive to local realities. The establishment of State Police in Nigeria is not only a necessity but an urgent and strategic imperative,” he said.
The governor said “today marks a significant milestone in our collective effort to confront one of the most serious challenges facing Northern Nigeria: the challenge of insecurity.
“Across the North, in every state, the threats posed by banditry, terrorism, kidnapping, drug abuse and other forms of criminality have continued to undermine peaceful coexistence, disrupt livelihoods and weaken social cohesion, thereby slowing down the pace of development in our great region.”
He said 19 northern governors setting up the board was a decisive step to confront the region’s worsening security crisis.
According to the governor, the governors in previous meetings in Kaduna and Abuja, agreed that the security crisis demanded “prompt, coordinated and decisive measures” to rescue the region.
He said the Federal Government retained primary responsibility for national security, adding that the northern states had resolved to complement federal efforts through stronger regional collaboration.
“It was in furtherance of this commitment that the Forum resolved to establish the Northern Nigeria Security Trust Fund,” he said, adding that the fund would mobilise resources, strengthen intelligence collaboration, support security coordination and complement the work of federal security agencies in protecting lives and property.
He said the inauguration of the Board of Trustees was the first major step towards implementing the initiative, adding that members were carefully selected from across the 19 northern states based on their integrity, patriotism and professional experience.
“The members of the Board of Trustees are men who have distinguished themselves in their various fields of endeavour in the service of our great country. We are confident that they will bring to this assignment their experience, integrity, patriotism and a deep understanding of the urgency of the moment,” he said.
He told the trustees to ensure the fund delivered practical results rather than becoming another bureaucratic institution.
“Let me state clearly that the Trust Fund is not intended to become another layer of bureaucracy. It must not be allowed to become an administrative structure that merely holds meetings.
“Rather, it must function as a focused, responsive and credible platform for resource mobilisation, strategic support, alignment and coordination with federal security agencies and other relevant institutions and stakeholders.”
The governor said the success of the fund is expected to reflect its impact on security coordination, intelligence sharing, rapid response and the protection of lives and property.
The Sultan of Sokoto and Chairman of the Northern Traditional Rulers Council, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III, backed the establishment of the Northern Nigeria Security Trust Fund, saying it was a long-overdue practical response to the insecurity confronting the region.
He pledged the full support of traditional rulers to the Board of Trustees and urged governors to provide the resources needed for the initiative to succeed.
The Sultan said “we assure you of our total support. Reach out to us at any time. We know our people, we know our communities, and we are ready to work hand in hand with you and the governors to make life easier and more peaceful for everyone.”
He said traditional rulers had always called for a coordinated action to tgackle insecurity for over a decade, adding that the recommendations submitted to the Northern Governors’ Forum in 2014 underscored the need for a comprehensive regional response.
The Sultan said no meaningful security intervention could succeed without sustainable funding, adding that “we still have a lot to do in supporting this Board of Trustees and funding this Trust Fund because nothing can be done without funds.”
He told the governments to invest more in education to reduce the number of out-of-school children in the North, adding that they should not be wrongly associated with criminality.
“We should continue to refer to them as out-of-school children who need to be taken off the streets and back into schools. Governors need to invest more resources in education because education remains the key to our future,” he added.
The Director-General of the Department of State Services, Oluwatosin Ajayi, represented by the Kaduna State Director of the Service, Hakeem Abiola; a representative of the Inspector-General of Police, DIG Suleiman Mohammed Abdul; serving governors and deputy governors from the 19 Northern states; and traditional rulers led by the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III. The Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (retd), who was supposed to be there, didn’t send representative.
