At North West Dev. Summit, Stakeholders Task Region On Urgent Growth

Governors of the North West geopolitical zone met yesterday in Kaduna to deliberate on the zone’s economic development and other matters, with Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani saying the zone had the potential to become a hub of agricultural   productivity, agro-processing, commerce  and skilled labour.

Delivering a keynote address at the North West Stakeholders Development Summit through his deputy, Dr Hadiza Balarabe, the governor advised that the summit must  go  beyond  diagnosis.

“Our  people  are  not  short  of reports; they are short of results,’’ he pointed out, urging the summit to focus on  actionable  roadmaps,  clear  timelines  and   measurable outcomes.

Governor Sani also advised the gathering to identify areas for immediate collaboration, clarify the roles  of federal, regional and state   actors, establish mechanisms for accountability and learning.

Sani said the theme of summit, ‘Advancing a Coordinated Regional Development Agenda for North-West Nigeria’ was at the heart of the zone’s  collective responsibility.

The governor added that for too long, development planning in the region had been pursued in silos, yet, the challenges faced were inherently regional.

He said, “Insecurity does not recognise state boundaries.  Educational deficits in one state weaken labour markets in  another.  Economic  shocks  in  a  commercial  hub reverberate across adjoining rural communities.”

According to him, Kaduna State has learnt that  development accelerates when  institutions  work together  and  policies  are anchored on evidence and inclusion.

“This is why we see the North-West Development Commission not as a competitor to state governments, but as a strategic partner; one that can harmonise priorities, reduce duplication and unlock economies of scale that no single state can achieve alone,” he said.

Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf said the summit should come up with a commitment to create a sub-regional pact to build a secure and educated North West whose citizens would exist in an environment of security, peace, social cohesion and prosperity to positively contribute to the growth and sustainable development of the sub region and the nation.

Governor Yusuf, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Umar Farouk Ibrahim, said, “I believe we assemble here this day, not for the usual sessions of speeches and conversations that often produce little or no outcome but as stewards and stakeholders with patriotic disposition and clamor to qualitatively transform the North West sub-region into a new beacon of hope, growth, prosperity and sustainable development.”

Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau I. Jibrin, said the North West must deliberately reposition itself to shape Nigeria’s economic direction through stronegional institutions rather than fragmented interventions.

Barau said the creation of the North West Development Commission (NWDC) was a strategic response to decades of disjointed development efforts that failed to produce systemic impact across states.

According to him, while the region remains Nigeria’s largest agricultural belt and home to  millions of citizens, it continues to battle insecurity, infrastructure deficits, youth unemployment, climate stress and weak access to social services.

In his welcome address, chairman of the Senate Committee on the NWDC, Senator Babangida Hussaini, painted a stark picture of a region that once powered Nigeria’s economy through groundnut pyramids, cotton, textiles and hides and skin production but now struggles with poverty and unemployment.

He noted that despite contributing over 40 per cent of Nigeria’s agricultural output and hosting some of West Africa’s largest markets, the North West ranks high in poverty indices and out-of-school children statistics.

He blamed the situation on years of development pursued in silos — state by state and agency by agency — resulting in duplication without scale and spending without lasting impact.

According to him, insecurity alone now drains the regional economy of billions of naira annually through disrupted farming cycles, lost productivity and capital flight.

He said the establishment of the NWDC and the Ministry of Regional Development signaled a reset, acknowledging that regional problems demand coordinated regional solutions.

Hussaini outlined four priority pillars for the region’s recovery: security and stability, infrastructure and connectivity, agriculture and industrial value addition, and human capital development.

Chairman of the occasion and former vice president, Arch. Mohammed Namadi Sambo, reinforced the urgency, saying the NWDC must move beyond documentation to tangible impact in the lives of citizens.

Sambo explained that the Act establishing the commission provides a framework for coordinated infrastructure development, economic growth, social transformation and environmental sustainability.

He cited abandoned power projects in Kaduna, including a 250MW thermal plant and a 30MW Gurara hydropower facility left idle for over a decade, as examples of why coordinated planning is critical.

He also referenced the long-delayed multi-purpose dam expected to generate 40MW of electricity, irrigate 35,000 hectares and supply water to Kaduna metropolis as projects that must be unlocked.

The former vice president called for partnerships with private investors, development partners and power agencies to revive stalled assets and expand renewable energy across the region.

Some former governors, ex-ministers and other dignitaries attended the summit, while seven governors of the zone and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas were absent.

It was the maiden edition of the North West stakeholders development summit to discuss and tackle the challenges facing the zone.

Governors who were absent include Abba Yusuf (Kano), Umar Namadi (Jigawa), Dikko Radda (Katsina), Ahmad Aliyu (Sokoto), Dauda Lawal (Zamfara), Uba Sani (Kaduna), Nasir Idris (Kebbi).

Though, Governors Uba Sani (Kaduna), Dikko Radda (Katsina) were represented by their deputies, while top government officials stood in for others, some did not send representatives.

The summit was organised by the commission in conjunction with the Joint Senate and House Committee on NWDC.