…. Saraki to northern govs: attract investors with incentives
….no more rhetoric, action needed – DG NEF, Prof Shen
By Gabriel Ewepu
ABUJA – THE former Speaker, House of Representatives, Rt Hon Yakubu Dogara, Tuesday, asserted that the bloodletting in northern Nigeria is now a curse affecting the region’s development and progress.
Dogara made the assertion during a panel session at day two of the Nigeria Investment and Industrialisation Summit, NNIIS, 2025 organised by the Northern Elders Forum, NEF, in Abuja.
Dogara said the bloodletting on a daily basis in northern Nigeria in the form of killings, kidnappings, maiming and displacements has seriously drawn the region backwards.
He also added that it is now a national emergency, if not the situation in the region will continue to deteriorate, and that the state governments cannot handle it alone but it should be from the national.
He said: “With the kind of bloodletting we are witnessing in the North, if you are a person of faith, you will know that we are operating under a curse because it is human blood.
“The effect of a curse is that you sweat without results. That is why we are sweating in this part of the country without any tangible outcome.
“The effect of a curse is that you sweat without results. That is why we are sweating in this part of the country without any tangible outcome.
“If it will mean pulling all the 19 northern states’ resources together to tackle insecurity, we must do it. Otherwise, all our conversations here will amount to nothing,” he stressed.
“We need to depart from doing business as usual and embrace radical, transformative action. Help is not coming from anywhere — we must take our destiny into our own hands.”
He also pointed out that without the development of the region Nigeria’s overall progress would be greatly affected.
“The development of northern Nigeria is not a regional prerogative. It must be seen as a national emergency. If the vast number of people we have in the North are not developed, Nigeria is going nowhere.”
Attract investors with incentives, Saraki tells northern govs
However, former Senate President and Governor of Kwara State, Senator Bukola Saraki, said Dogara’s call for northern governors to consolidate resources is not to be done by them alone; rather such a challenge in the north demands national approach that would be holistic, including the private sector, to get involved.
Saraki also added that State Governors of Nasarawa and Zamfara States are already doing something amazing with their efforts to ensure these challenges are tackled with innovative approaches.
He said, “We shouldn’t think it’s easy to put all the blame on governors. Even if you put a super governor in those states today, you won’t see investments unless there are incentives.”
He also emphatically stated that there is a need to have a well-articulated and structured national development plan that clearly spells the roles of stakeholders – Federal and State Governments including the private sector.
Northern youths demand attention – Hon El-Rufai
Also speaking, A member of the House of Representatives, Bello El-Rufai, pointed out that with the huge youth demography, unfortunately, they have been recruited and used as agents of destruction, disrupting the region’s development as they are deeply involved in terrorism, banditry, and cybercrime, hence are now huge liability to the region.
“The most that get recruited by bandits are young people. The young people doing cybercrimes are also within our group”, El-Rufai lamented.
He also called for mentorship, service engagement and culture of respect to be inculcated in the youth of the region.
Go beyond rhetoric, action needed – Prof Shen
While presenting a summary of the summit, the Director-General, NEF, Prof Doknan Sheni, said the time of rhetoric is over now, after the summit is action by participants to ensure the reality of all that has been spoken and agreed.
He said that the 10-year development plan (2025–2035) was designed as an action-oriented roadmap to reduce poverty, curb insecurity, and create employment, with emphasis on harnessing human and natural resources.
The summit deliberated extensively on four key themes: Power – bridging energy deficits through decentralisation and partnerships; Agriculture – shifting from subsistence to agro-industrial transformation; Digital Economy & Innovation – leveraging technology to unlock growth; Mining – promoting inclusive and sustainable exploitation of mineral resources.
He noted that the high point of the summit was the signing and adoption of the Northern Nigeria Integrated Economic Development Charter, now positioned as the guiding instrument for collective action to drive transformation in the region.
He said that the region must move beyond rhetoric into bold, coordinated action if it is to fulfil its role as the economic engine of Nigeria.
He said: “The high point of the summit was the formal signing and adoption of the Northern Nigeria Integrated Economic Development Charter. This document, endorsed by regional leaders and stakeholders, is now positioned as the central instrument to guide collective action in driving economic growth and transformation in Northern Nigeria.
“The proceedings closed with assurances of faithfulness, commitment, and competitiveness in implementing the resolutions, backed by infrastructure development, power generation initiatives, and inclusive community participation. The overall message was clear: moving beyond rhetoric into bold, coordinated action is essential if the region is to fulfil its role as the economic engine of the nation.
“Several presentations underlined the challenges and opportunities in agriculture, mining, infrastructure, power, and digital economy. It was agreed that synergy between public and private sectors is vital for building an enabling environment, attracting investors, and ensuring security. Discussions also highlighted the importance of transparency, streamlined approvals, policy reforms, and youth empowerment in advancing economic transformation.”
The post Bloodletting we’re witnessing now curse for northern Nigeria – Dogara appeared first on Vanguard News.
