Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has expressed his administration’s determination and resolve to eliminate terrorist and bandit groups operating in the North and reverse the region’s economic fortune.
The President made the remarks at the 25th Anniversary (Silver Jubilee) of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) and the launch of the Forum’s Endowment Fund in Kaduna.
The President who was represented by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, delivered an address titled ‘A Generation Summoned by a Crisis’.
President Tinubu acknowledged that his administration inherited severe security challenges but said he is working with the urgency required to confront them.
He noted that the security crisis affecting Northern Nigeria is a source of grave concern and emphasised that instability in any part of the country undermines collective progress.
President Tinubu described the inherited security problems as layered and sophisticated but said his government is pursuing solutions with renewed urgency.
He added that the North requires honest and courageous voices at this critical moment, acknowledging past missteps and moments of drift while insisting that responsibility must not be abandoned.
President Tinubu warned against complacency in the face of widespread hunger and fear experienced by communities, stating that hope is not lost.
He said decades of dysfunction have strained unity but noted that the diversity represented at the event reflects a collective resolve to overcome polarisation and resist divisive agendas.
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On the situation in the North, Tinubu reaffirmed the government’s commitment not only to eliminating terrorist and bandit groups but also to reversing the region’s economic setbacks.
He restated his confidence in the North’s potential and expressed anticipation for the commencement of crude oil production from Kolmani and other Northern fields.
The President said his administration is accelerating key infrastructure projects across the region, including the Abuja–Kaduna–Kano Superhighway, which is scheduled for inauguration in Kano in the coming months.
He reflected on the responsibilities of different generations, noting that the current generation is confronted with severe security corrosion, weakening communal values, and a distortion of the moral compass that once bound Northern communities together.
He described the present period as one marked by a rupture in social ethics in a region whose stability is essential to Nigeria’s peace and prosperity.
President Tinubu commended the Arewa Consultative Forum for serving as an enduring conscience of Northern Nigeria over the past 25 years.
He said the Forum has convened patriots, intellectuals, and negotiators whose commitment has ensured that the North remains central in national dialogue.
He added that the ACF has consistently advocated solutions to regional challenges and championed dignity, fairness, and equality for millions of people in the region.
He described the Silver Jubilee celebration as a tribute to the courage, advocacy, and principled service demonstrated by the Forum and its members over the years.