President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has said that no national priority weighs more heavily on his mind than Nigeria’s escalating security crisis, especially the violence ravaging large parts of the North.
The president stated this on Friday in Kaduna at the 25th Anniversary of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) and the launch of its Endowment Fund. Tinubu was represented at the event by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas.
Tinubu described insecurity as the most troubling threat confronting the country, stressing that Nigeria cannot move toward economic recovery or social stability unless peace is restored.
“Nothing troubles me more gravely than the security crisis bedevilling Nigeria, especially Northern Nigeria,” the president said. “We cannot prosper when one limb of the national body is paralysed.”
He noted that his administration inherited a complicated security environment from terrorism to banditry and kidnapping but is confronting the problem with urgency, determination and strategic reforms.
Tinubu said the Federal Government remained committed to eliminating terrorist and bandit groups terrorising the North and reversing the region’s economic slump triggered by years of insecurity.
He explained that rebuilding trust among communities, strengthening unity and restoring safety were indispensable steps to preventing further decline, particularly in education and agriculture.
Despite the challenges, Tinubu expressed optimism about the North’s economic future.
He said he looked forward to the day crude oil tankers would begin moving out of Kolmani and other emerging northern oil fields, signalling new industrial and revenue opportunities.
He added that major infrastructure projects, including the Abuja–Kaduna–Kano Superhighway, were being accelerated for completion to boost mobility, trade and regional integration
Tinubu said the North must confront its challenges with honesty, courage and united leadership.
“We fail the day we sleep comfortably while millions sleep with empty bellies, the day fear becomes a permanent companion for travellers,” he warned.
He noted that decades of dysfunction had strained unity, but the diversity and representation seen at the ACF anniversary reflected a renewed resolve to resist division and restore solidarity.
The president praised the Arewa Consultative Forum for serving as the “conscience of Northern Nigeria” over the past 25 years.
He said the Silver Jubilee marked decades of courage, advocacy and principled service in defending dignity, fairness and equality for millions of Northerners.
Tinubu urged political, traditional, community and religious leaders to recommit themselves to the principles that shaped the ACF’s founding, stressing that the stability of the North is essential to the peace and development of Nigeria as a whole.
