Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, has said the North possesses sufficient human capital to address its long-standing development problems if its elites work together with shared purpose and renewed commitment.
The governor stated this when the leadership of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), led by its Board of Trustees Chairman, Alhaji Bashir Dalhatu, Wazirin Dutse, paid him a courtesy visit at Sir Kashim Ibrahim House.
Governor Sani said northern leaders have discussed the region’s challenges for years, including poverty, educational gaps, poor healthcare access, and underdevelopment, but insisted that the time for lamentation is over.
“We must stop complaining and start acting. The North has successful professionals in business, academics, entrepreneurship, medicine, and many other fields. What is missing is a platform to bring everyone together.” he said.
He noted that the ACF is strategically positioned to provide that platform by harnessing the expertise, achievements, and resources of northern professionals for the region’s advancement.
Governor Sani expressed concern over the high level of financial exclusion in the North, saying many northerners still lack bank accounts and cannot access government intervention programmes.
He recalled that his administration’s First Executive Order after assuming office focused on financial inclusion. “In less than one year, we onboarded over 2.1 million poor people into the financial system,” he said.
The governor urged northern businessmen to invest in the financial sector to support SMEs, noting that more than 60% of local governments in the North lack a single bank branch.
“Out of over 4,000 bank branches in Nigeria, only Kaduna and Kano have about 100 combined. Yet some southern states with far smaller populations have more branches than Kano, which has 44 local governments,” he lamented.
Governor Sani commended the ACF’s plan to establish a Central Endowment Fund, stressing that it should prioritise skills acquisition to make citizens self-reliant.
He also praised the Forum’s renewed engagement with other regional bodies, including Afenifere and Ohanaeze Ndigbo, describing it as a step toward building trust and strengthening national unity.
According to him, past ACF efforts were hampered by poor synergy with state governments and political office holders, but the current leadership is charting a more productive path.
Earlier, Alhaji Bashir Dalhatu said the ACF delegation was in Kaduna to formally notify the governor of the Forum’s forthcoming 25th anniversary scheduled for 20–22 November.
He thanked Governor Sani for his consistent support to the organisation, including permanently allocating its office accommodation after years of operating from government-owned spaces.
Dalhatu disclosed that Vice President Kashim Shettima will serve as Special Guest at the anniversary, with all northern ministers expected to attend.
He appealed to the governor, as Chief Host, to help mobilise northern governors to strengthen the event.
He added that the ACF has reached out to various socio-cultural groups across the country to promote dialogue and national cohesion, while also engaging religious leaders, traditional rulers, legislators, and regional chapters ahead of the event.
The BoT Chairman announced that Alhaji Aliko Dangote will serve as Guest Speaker, saying his personal story of resilience and achievement would inspire participants.
He also confirmed that the Forum will launch an endowment fund to support community-based projects across the North.
“For 25 years, ACF has spoken on behalf of the North. The time has come to move beyond advocacy and implement tangible programmes that bring real social and economic upliftment,” he said.
