By Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State has said the North has sufficient human and material resources to overcome its development challenges if regional leaders work together. He made the statement when the leadership of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), led by its Board of Trustees Chairman, Alhaji Bashir Dalhatu, paid him a courtesy visit at Sir Kashim Ibrahim House in Kaduna.
The governor said the current generation of northern elites must shift from repeatedly lamenting the region’s problems to taking decisive action.
“For years, we have spoken about our challenges — poverty, education gaps, healthcare deficits, and other development issues. We have reached a point where we must stop complaining and start acting,” Sani said.
He noted that the North boasts accomplished professionals across sectors such as business, academia, medicine, and entrepreneurship, whose collective expertise could drive meaningful development if properly harnessed.
According to him, the ACF is well positioned to unify these experts and mobilize their resources and experience for the region’s benefit.
Governor Uba Sani commended the ACF’s plan to establish a Central Endowment Fund, urging the forum to prioritize skills acquisition to empower citizens and promote self-reliance.
The governor raised concerns over financial exclusion in the North, stating that millions of residents are unable to access government social investment programmes because they do not have bank accounts.
He recalled that his administration’s first action in office was signing an Executive Order on Financial Inclusion, which has since brought more than 2.1 million vulnerable people into the formal financial system.
Sani also encouraged northern investors to support the financial sector, especially in underserved communities.
“Over 60% of local governments in the North do not have a single bank branch,” he said. “Today, Nigeria has over 4,000 bank branches, yet only Kaduna and Kano states have about 100. Some southern states with far smaller populations have more branches than Kano, which has 44 local governments.”
He emphasized that the ACF remains one of the most credible platforms capable of addressing the North’s pressing challenges because it operates without political bias. He added that previous gaps in synergy between ACF, state governments, and elected officials had hindered the forum’s influence, but the current leadership is making efforts to rebuild lost trust.
Governor Sani also praised the ACF for engaging other regional bodies, including Afenifere and Ohanaeze Ndigbo, to strengthen national unity.
Earlier, ACF BoT Chairman Alhaji Bashir Dalhatu said the visit was to formally notify the governor of the Forum’s forthcoming 25th anniversary celebration, scheduled to hold in Kaduna from 20 to 22 November.
He thanked the governor for his continuous support, especially for permanently allocating the Forum’s office space, which had been under government ownership since its establishment.
Dalhatu announced that Vice President Kashim Shettima will serve as Special Guest at the anniversary, alongside ministers of northern extraction. He requested the governor’s support in mobilizing other northern governors to participate.
The ACF chairman added that the Forum has initiated engagements with traditional rulers, religious leaders, lawmakers, and southern socio-cultural groups to strengthen national cohesion.
He disclosed that Alhaji Aliko Dangote will serve as Guest Speaker, with the liberty to choose any topic, noting that his success story remains a source of inspiration.
Dalhatu also confirmed ACF’s plan to set up an endowment fund to move the Forum from advocacy to implementing tangible community-based development projects.
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