Written by Umar Akilu
Governors of the 19 Northern states and members of the Northern Traditional Rulers’ Council have renewed their commitment to tackling insecurity across the region, endorsing the establishment of state police and unveiling a coordinated strategy aimed at addressing the root causes of violence.
The resolution was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of a joint meeting of the Northern Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NNGF) and the Northern Traditional Rulers’ Council held on Wednesday at Sir Kashim Ibrahim House in Kaduna.
The meeting, chaired by Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State, focused exclusively on the worsening security situation in Northern Nigeria and explored practical measures to restore peace and stability.
The forum commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his commitment to addressing insecurity nationwide and reaffirmed its support for ongoing federal security operations. It also pledged to strengthen intelligence sharing, improve community resilience and establish a sustainable regional security framework.
According to the communiqué, participants stressed that the security crisis in Northern Nigeria requires urgent, coordinated and decisive action to prevent further deterioration.
A major highlight of the meeting was the endorsement of the ongoing constitutional process for the creation of state police. The governors and traditional rulers commended President Tinubu and the National Assembly for initiating the process, expressing confidence that properly trained, equipped and supported state police would significantly improve efforts to combat banditry, kidnapping, terrorism and other security threats.
The forum also expressed confidence in the newly inaugurated Board of Trustees of the Northern Nigeria Security Trust Fund, urging its members to discharge their responsibilities with diligence, fairness and integrity.
The governors further commended member states for fulfilling their commitment to contribute ₦1 billion monthly to the Security Trust Fund, describing the initiative as a demonstration of collective leadership and shared responsibility. They urged all participating states to sustain prompt contributions while calling on traditional rulers, civil society organisations, the media and citizens to support the trust fund in achieving its objectives.
Beyond military operations, the forum resolved to tackle the underlying drivers of insecurity, including poverty, unemployment, illiteracy and the growing number of out-of-school children.
It stressed that investments in education, agriculture, youth empowerment, skills acquisition and livelihood programmes would complement security interventions and promote long-term peace.
With the rainy season underway, the meeting also called for enhanced protection of farmers against attacks and communal conflicts that could disrupt farming activities.
The forum pledged to work closely with traditional institutions, local governments and community leaders to prevent conflicts, support livestock transformation initiatives and modernise agriculture as part of broader efforts to strengthen the region’s economy.
In addition to security, the governors agreed to extend their collaborative approach to critical sectors such as education, agriculture and healthcare through a unified framework designed to pool resources, share technical expertise and improve service delivery across Northern Nigeria.
The meeting concluded with a resolution to reconvene on a date to be announced later.
The communiqué was signed by the Chairman of the Northern Nigeria Governors’ Forum and Governor of Gombe State, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya.
