Tinubu And Arewa

Back in 2011, when the CPC/ACN merger talks stalled, I ran into a livid Ismaeel Ahmed Esq, a friend from way back in Uni, who had delved into national politics and was keen on the success of the merger. I remember vividly that he was the first person to sell me the idea of Asiwaju aka Jagaban back in 2011, before Kashim registered me into it in 2022.

“Tahir, Tinubu reminded us that 70% of the land in Nigeria is in the North and all of it is arable land for agriculture. What he wants is a political marriage between the North and the South West, so that both regions can work together towards exploring and developing the North’s agricultural potential. The North is sitting on a goldmine and it seems it does not even appreciate it”!

He continued to wax on, saying, Tinubu queried us to imagine if they had all this land in the southwest? Ooh lala! The North’s gift with the South’s business savviness was the combo that would lead to the emancipation of the largest black nation. The merger failed in 2011, but in 2015, it clicked.

Obviously, the insecurity then was quite unbearable and the North’s quest for power was justified, as GEJ would have been sworn in for a third consecutive time, just coming off of OBJ’s two terms, with a brief two- year stint in power of the late Umaru Yar’Adua in-between.

Against all odds, and as God ordained it, Tinubu is now in power. The North has the minister of agriculture, and also the minister of state for agriculture. Under the leadership of Senator Abubakar Kyari, the minister of agriculture and food security, the Tinubu administration has entrenched an all-year-round farming regime for two years running now, with smallholder farmers receiving 50 to 90 per cent of their inputs: improved seeds, pesticides, fertilisers and other implements from the agriculture ministry.

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The very prudent management of the resources earmarked for the farmers through the National Agricultural Growth Scheme, Agro-pocket project, is reaching the farmers directly. Harvests have been good and more and more smallholder farmers are registering and benefitting from the farmer-subsidy.

States like Jigawa, Katsina, Kebbi, Gombe and Kaduna are keying in overwhelmingly, and the states are also contributing to top up the subsidy from the federal government. Ten thousand tractors, as promised by President Tinubu, will soon start reaching our farmers, with the agriculture ministry in Abuja already taking stock of the first batch of 2,000 tractors from Belarus.  It is safe to say that we are nearer to achieving food security.

For the North, President Tinubu has also created the Livestock Development Ministry. Before the creation, the idea was well-researched and reputable persons like Prof. Attahiru Jega of the “we will not take it melodrama” headed the Presidential Livestock Committee. Tinubu appointed another northerner, Alhaji Idi Mukhtar Maiha, to head the ministry. Then again, Prof. Jega was recently appointed Special Adviser to the President on Livestock Farming. Late last year, in one of Tinubu’s trips abroad in search of FDI, a deal was struck with JBS of Brazil to invest $5 billion in the Nigerian livestock sub-sector of the economy.

Governor Umar Bago of Niger State signed on behalf of Nigeria as the state is scheduled to provide over 1.2 million hectares of land for the take-off of the partnership. Ogun State has also keyed in and signed agreements with the Brazilian conglomerate. Still in the agriculture sector, the federal government will soon be flagging off a multi-billion dollar funding of Nigeria’s Special Agro-industrial Processing Zones, including Kaduna, Kwara, Kano and FCT Abuja. Plans are underway to expand to 24 additional states.

In all of this, I can clearly see the footprints of President Tinubu’s blueprint for the North in terms of agriculture. I’m not forgetting that the health minister is from the North, my state, actually. From the get-go, the witty and world-renowned professor has ushered in $3 billion in foreign investments and grants into our health sector value chain. This is aside other investments and grants worth over $200 million, and another Brazilian pharmaceuticals’ $240 million investment in Lagos.

Today, we have companies and pharmaceuticals producing a lot of consumables in the health sector, including medical textiles. Even HIV rapid test kits are now manufactured in Nigeria. Just two days ago, 774 fellows were employed across all the local governments of the country. This is aside from the 2,400 doctors and nurses recruited. C-section is also now free in Nigeria, and dialysis is being subsidised from N80,000 to about N15,000 in select centres across the country, with more centres coming onboard. 120,000 health workers are being retrained and over 1,400 primary healthcare centres are being upgraded and revitalised all over the country.

The North also had the education minister and heads of UBEC, TETFUND and quite a number of chief executives in the education ministry. The ministry was repositioned and we now have the minister of state education from the North. Under the Vice President’s Office, we have a northerner, Mrs. Zubaida Umar heading NEMA. Tinubu has created development commissions: North West, North Central and the existing Northeast Development Commission, all in the north.

Under the NSA, Nuhu Ribadu, security has undoubtedly improved, and 24/25 is recorded as the year with the least terrorist attacks in Nigeria for the last 10 years. The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Christopher Musa, has ensured that the security agencies/armed forces work with synergy among them. This is yielding results greatly, as the Air Force complements the ground assaults of the Army, the Navy, the Police and Civil Defence.

We can see how the Lukarawa terrorists were dealt with decisively, unlike the way Boko Haram was allowed to fester. Bandits are now begging for amnesty or negotiations as they are being pummelled on a daily. Their kingpins are also being annihilated on a daily basis. Security is getting better and that is the greatest concern or evil bedevilling the North. Do I need to mention the two ministers of defence from the North? Of course, I need to appreciate the good that is coming from their ministry, despite all our misgivings in the first place. What about the Budget Ministry? Northerner? Let me first check…

Some of Arewa politicians who are hungry for power are beating broken drums and blowing punctured vuvuzelas, crying foul that the North is being undermined. But they forget that the North has all these sons and daughters working assiduously to make life better for the region.

The North today consists of many appendages, aside from the Arewa that we ‘proudly used’ to speak of. I remember clearly that Peter Obi garnered quite a lot of votes from the North, a million plus actually, so the Arewa they speak of is not a unanimous bloc. Perhaps, only in their fantasy, as they ‘samba’ around that Arewa will unite against Asiwaju. No sirs, the North will not unite in your phantom quests, and as you drive this idea around. The North is now wiser. It has its own eyes and ears and no longer depends on yours or that of a few selfish leaders for false guidance. You used yours to build your sons, daughters, spouses, in-laws and friends and forgot about the prestigious area. No sirs you’re not talking of the North but yourselves. Not even your neighbours are in your selfish interests.

Not only the North, the nation is feeling the drop in food prices, ‘upping’ of the security tempo, and the health benefits coming to fruition. The economic reforms were hard, and Asiwaju was bold enough to confront them. Finally, things are beginning to turn around for the better. If we supported Baba Buhari for eight years, and remained patient for all he had in his locker to unfold, why won’t we support Asiwaju for eight years? The opposition has irresponsibly started 2027 in 2025, and one cannot expect the ruling APC to fold its arms and watch the campaign of falsehood and propaganda unfold against its better standing, compared to the now well-perforated umbrella union. So, the earlier our people understand that the game of using Arewa for a few people’s selfish interests is at play, the better for us all.

President Tinubu’s policies are tailored to emancipating the common man. From local government reforms to the NELFUND scheme and other education reforms, such as the technical schools’ free education policy, the common man must be made to see that good governance is being driven nearer to him. It is a hard task, but a necessary one. May God see us through, Amen.