By Chigozie Igbo Jr
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has urged political, traditional, and community leaders across Northern Nigeria to recommit themselves to unity, visionary leadership, and a renewed development agenda capable of addressing the region’s deepening socio-economic challenges.
Atiku made the call on Friday in Kaduna while speaking at the 25th anniversary of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), where he also reflected on the organisation’s history and the evolving future of Northern Nigeria.
The former Vice President commended the ACF for sustaining what he described as a “difficult but necessary” responsibility of providing leadership for the region over the past quarter century. He paid tribute to founding members and departed leaders of the forum, praising their contributions to the region’s development.
Atiku noted that the ACF’s founding was rooted in efforts to mend deep divisions in the North following the 1999 elections. He recalled that upon assumption of office as Vice President, the region was splintered along several political blocs.
To address this, he said he initiated consultations that eventually brought northern leaders under one umbrella with General Yakubu Gowon as Chairman and the late M.D. Yusufu as Executive Chairman,a structure that evolved into today’s ACF.
“At the time, we understood that unity was the foundation on which development could be built,” Atiku said.
The former Vice President explained that the priorities that guided the North under the leadership of Sir Ahmadu Bello, education, agriculture, and industrial growth,remained relevant when the ACF was formed and still matter today.
He recalled establishing the Northern Development Program (NDP) to revive education, restructure agriculture, and identify the obstacles crippling Northern industries.
Atiku highlighted efforts such as the Northern Education Project led by Prof. Adamu Beiki, which conducted extensive assessments and initiated reforms to rescue the region’s collapsing education sector.
On agriculture and industry, he noted that challenges such as poverty, inadequate financing, weak value chains, and multiple taxation continue to stifle growth, adding that “two decades later, it appears we are still where we were.”
He warned against complacency, stressing that the North must build on past efforts with “renewed vigour and stamina.”
Addressing the sensitive issue of Northern unity, Atiku said the region’s inability to manage its diversity remains its biggest weakness. He compared Nigeria’s situation to countries like China and India, which manage far greater ethnic diversity while still advancing development.
“Some of the obstacles to our unity are being exploited by adversaries using technology to sow discord and target our resources,” he warned.
Quoting Sir Ahmadu Bello, he reminded the audience that the North’s strength historically lay in its ability to find unity in diversity.
Atiku, however, raised concerns about Nigeria’s rapidly growing population, projected by the UN to surpass 300 million by 2030 and exceed 400 million by 2050.
“How do we feed this population when we already face grain deficits? How do we educate our children? How do we create jobs for hundreds of millions of young people?” he asked.
He stressed that the global environment would not tolerate “complacency, absentee leadership, or leadership without vision,” insisting that Northern leaders must urgently rethink their priorities.
Concluding , Atiku urged Northern leaders to rise above ethnic and religious divisions and emulate the selfless leadership of Ahmadu Bello.
“If there is any time for the North to unite, it is now,” he said. “Let us resist those trying to divide us and recommit ourselves to building the North our children deserve.”
He prayed for God’s guidance and thanked the ACF for its service to the region.