Board of Trustees (BoT) Chairman of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Alhaji Bashir M. Dalhatu, addressing newsmen during press briefing in Kaduna
Board of Trustees (BoT) Chairman of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Alhaji Bashir M. Dalhatu, has announced plans by Northern groups and institutions to organise a major conference to reassess the region’s trajectory, sixty years after the assassination of Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sardaunan Sokoto.
Dalhatu disclosed this on Thursday while reading the text of a press briefing on behalf of Northern socio-cultural groups at the ACF Secretariat in Kaduna.
He recalled that January 15, 2026, marked exactly sixty years since Sir Ahmadu Bello and some of his colleagues were killed, an incident which, he said, altered the course of Nigeria’s history and eventually led to a series of national crises, including the civil war.
While acknowledging that the day is officially observed as Armed Forces Remembrance Day in honour of fallen Nigerian soldiers, Dalhatu said it was equally important to remember defining moments in the nation’s political history, particularly those that shaped the fortunes of Northern Nigeria.
He described the late Sardauna as a visionary and selfless leader whose administration laid a solid foundation for unity, inclusive governance and rapid development in the former Northern Region.
According to him, Sir Ahmadu Bello prioritised education, healthcare, infrastructure, agriculture and economic empowerment, while running a transparent and compassionate government that respected the region’s religious and ethnic diversity.
Dalhatu noted that the Sardauna’s legacy remains visible in institutions such as Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and the vast network of schools, hospitals and development agencies established under his leadership, which provided equal opportunities for both the rich and the poor.
He lamented that over 70 per cent of Northerners today are under the age of 60 and did not witness that era of leadership, adding that many young people now struggle with insecurity, poverty, unemployment and limited access to quality education, while only hearing stories of a past marked by functional public institutions and integrity in leadership.
According to him, the fragmentation of the old Northern Region into 19 states has also brought complex governance, inter-communal and security challenges, compounded by high cost of governance and weak management of public affairs.
Dalhatu said it was in response to these realities that Northern groups resolved to convene a conference titled “Sixty Years Without the Sardauna” in the first week of April 2026.
He explained that the conference would go beyond nostalgia, and would instead provide a platform for critical self-examination of the region’s strengths, weaknesses and development path, with the aim of producing practical solutions for the future.
The conference, he said, would bring together traditional rulers, elders, intellectuals, religious leaders, entrepreneurs, women and youth, and would encourage open dialogue, honest criticism and collective ownership of the region’s challenges and prospects.
Dalhatu added that existing research findings would be distilled into actionable strategies to address insecurity, economic development and peaceful coexistence, while helping the region reconnect its past values with present realities and future aspirations.
He expressed optimism that the conference would help reposition the North as a constructive force in Nigeria’s democratic growth and national development.
The organisers appealed to Northerners, other Nigerians and the media for support to ensure the success of the conference.
The briefing was presented by Dalhatu on behalf of the Arewa Consultative Forum, Northern Elders Forum, Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation, Arewa House, CEDDART, ARDP, Arewa Defence League, MACBAN and other Northern groups.
