President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reaffirmed that Nigeria’s security crisis remains his deepest source of concern, warning that the nation cannot progress without rebuilding public trust.
“Unless trust is rebuilt, security challenges will persist, economic stagnation will deepen, and educational deficits will widen,” he said.
The President, represented by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, delivered the message during the 25th Anniversary (Silver Jubilee) celebration of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) and the launch of the forum’s Endowment Fund on Saturday in Kaduna.
Speaking on the theme of his address, “A Generation Summoned by a Crisis,” President Tinubu acknowledged that his administration inherited complex security threats but stressed that he is confronting them with urgency.
“Nothing troubles me more gravely than the security crisis bedevilling Nigeria, especially Northern Nigeria… We cannot prosper when one limb of the national body is paralysed,” he said, adding that his government is vigorously pursuing solutions to the “layers and sophistication” of the challenges on ground.
Tinubu charged northern leaders to rise to the demands of the moment, insisting that the region must not lose its sense of responsibility.
“Yes, there have been missteps… but we cannot say the North has failed unless we abandon our responsibility to be our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers,” he said.
He added that failure would come “the day we sleep comfortably while millions sleep with empty bellies, the day fear becomes a permanent companion for travellers.”
Despite decades of inherited dysfunction, the President maintained that hope is not lost.
He described the ACF gathering rich in ethnic and religious diversity as proof of the North’s determination to overcome division and resist forces seeking to create discord.
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On efforts to restore peace, he declared: “We are not only determined to ensure that terrorist and bandit groups tormenting the North are eliminated, we are equally committed to reversing the region’s economic decline.”
Reaffirming his commitment to northern development, Tinubu said he looks forward to when “the first tankers of crude oil from Kolmani and other Northern oil fields roll out.”
He highlighted ongoing investments in major road, rail, and river transport projects, including the Abuja–Kaduna–Kano Superhighway, which he said would be inaugurated in Kano “in the coming months.”
Reflecting on the responsibilities of the present generation, Tinubu said the North is confronting “one of the gravest tests of its endurance”, the deterioration of security, weakening of communal values, and disruption of moral order. He urged stakeholders to respond with unity and moral clarity.
The President praised the ACF for 25 years of steadfast engagement, describing it as an institution that has acted as the “enduring conscience” of Northern Nigeria.
According to him, the forum has consistently defended dignity, equity, and fairness for millions in the region.
He concluded that the Silver Jubilee marks a celebration of “courage, advocacy, and principled service” by some of the North’s most influential and patriotic voices.
