Nigeria’s prosperity inseparable from future of northern Nigeria – Tinubu

…assures North’s industrialization, economical recovery
…let’s tackle insecurity to pull investors – Zamfara Gov
…poor infrastructure slows North’s industrialization – Prof Ango Abdullahi

By Gabriel Ewepu

ABUJA – President Bola Tinubu connected Monday declared that Nigeria’s prosperity is inseparable from the aboriginal of Northern Nigeria.

Represented by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, astatine the Nigeria Investment and Industrialisation Summit (NNIIS) 2025 successful Abuja, organized nether the enactment of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), Tinubu said his medication is embarking connected captious industrialization projects focused connected the region.

He commended NEF for its determination to alteration the communicative and reposition Northern Nigeria arsenic an innovation and concern hub.

The taxable of the Summit, “Unlocking Northern Nigeria’s Mining, Agricultural and Power Potentials (MAP2035),” outlines a 10-year blueprint to alteration the region’s economy.

Tinubu said: “The aboriginal of Nigeria’s prosperity is inseparable from the aboriginal of Northern Nigeria. If we unlock the North’s minerals, we unafraid a caller epoch of concern competitiveness. If we unlock the North’s agriculture, we warrant nutrient information and export leadership. If we unlock the North’s power, we ignite a question of industrialization that volition employment millions of Nigerians.

“The North is not conscionable a portion of the country, it is the motor of the country. Together, fto america prehend this infinitesimal to alteration Northern Nigeria into the powerhouse of Nigeria’s prosperity.”

He highlighted cardinal reforms successful mining, agriculture, and power, stressing that these sectors stay the backbone of Nigeria’s economy.

According to him, Nigeria recorded GDP maturation of 4.23% successful the 2nd 4th of 2025, the strongest successful a decennary extracurricular the COVID rebound period, driven by robust maturation successful industry, agriculture, and services. He added that ostentation has begun to ease, overseas reserves person risen, and the Naira has stabilized, attributing the advancement to deliberate reforms nether his Renewed Hope Agenda.

Tinubu explained that Northern Nigeria holds immoderate of Africa’s astir invaluable mineral deposits—including gold, lithium, tin, zinc, limestone, and coal—and that reforms are attracting credible investors portion ensuring big communities payment directly. He emphasized value-chain improvement to determination from earthy exports to processing industries specified arsenic batteries, cement, and different concern inputs.

On agriculture, helium noted that with 70% of Nigeria’s arable onshore successful the North, the portion remains captious for nutrient information and concern growth. He referenced projects specified arsenic the Sokoto-Badagry Highway, irrigation schemes, and agro-industrial corridors designed to link the North to ports and grow agro-processing.

On power, Tinubu described vigor arsenic “the oxygen of industrialization” and cited the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) Pipeline arsenic a strategical task adjacent completion that volition present earthy state for powerfulness procreation and concern use. He besides referenced Mission 300, an inaugural unlocking $32 cardinal successful vigor and concern investment.

Zamfara Governor calls for stronger information collaboration

Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, stressed the request to tackle insecurity to pull investors and urged the 19 Northern states to harmonize economical policies.

“To pull the concern we truthful desperately need, we indispensable determination beyond rhetoric and clasp collaborative action,” helium said. “Security is the cardinal prerequisite for meaningful development. Investors volition not perpetrate superior wherever it is not safe. A harmless North is simply a bankable North.”

He projected a “One-North Investment Policy” to harmonize onshore administration, approvals, and taxation incentives crossed the region. He besides called for a Northern Power Strategy, leveraging solar, hydro, and state projects nether the Electricity Act 2023, to supply dedicated and reliable vigor for concern clusters.

NEF underscores infrastructure and concern challenges

NEF Convener/Chairman, Prof. Ango Abdullahi, represented by Air Marshal Al’amin Daggash (Rtd.), identified deficiency of captious infrastructure arsenic a cardinal situation impeding industrialization successful the region.

According to him, “...