Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, has lamented the slow pace of development in the North despite its abundance of skilled professionals, saying the region continues to lag behind because its elites have failed to unite and harness available human resources.
Speaking when the leadership of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), led by its Board of Trustees Chairman, Alhaji Bashir Dalhatu, paid him a courtesy call in Kaduna, the governor said the time had come for Northern leaders to stop “repeatedly complaining” and take concrete action.
“For years, we have repeatedly spoken about our challenges — poverty, education gaps, healthcare deficits, and other development issues. I believe we have reached a point where we must stop complaining and start acting,” he said.
According to him, the North boasts many accomplished professionals across business, academia, medicine, and entrepreneurship, yet lacks the coordination needed to drive development. “The missing link is bringing everyone together. The ACF can help bridge that gap by enabling us to benefit from their collective experience, achievements, and resources,” he added.
Governor Sani commended ACF’s plan to establish a Central Endowment Fund, urging that it prioritise skills acquisition to make Northern youths self-reliant. He also raised concern over high levels of financial exclusion in the region, noting that many poor residents lack bank accounts and therefore miss out on government’s social programmes.
He recalled signing the First Executive Order on Financial Inclusion upon assuming office, which he said helped onboard more than 2.1 million vulnerable people into the financial system within one year.
The governor further urged Northern businessmen to invest in the financial sector, stressing that over 60% of local governments in the region do not have a single bank branch.
“Some Southern states with far smaller populations have more bank branches than Kano, which has 44 local governments,” he noted.
Sani praised the renewed direction of the ACF leadership, especially its efforts to build bridges with Afenifere, Ohaneze Ndigbo, and other regional groups. He described the forum as “a neutral body without political bias” capable of uniting the North around a common developmental vision.
Earlier, Alhaji Bashir Dalhatu informed the governor of ACF’s forthcoming 25th anniversary celebration scheduled for November 20–22 in Kaduna. He thanked the governor for permanently allocating office property to the group, noting: “For the first time, we are operating from premises we can call our own.”
Dalhatu said Vice President Kashim Shettima would serve as Special Guest, while Aliko Dangote would deliver the keynote address. He added that the ACF planned to move beyond advocacy by establishing an endowment fund for community-based development initiatives.
He also highlighted the forum’s engagements with traditional rulers, religious leaders, lawmakers, and socio-cultural groups to deepen national cohesion, saying: “We want to begin sustained dialogue with our brothers and sisters in the South… all in the spirit of promoting a strong, united Nigeria.”
VANGUARD.
