By Abubakar Yunusa
President Bola Tinubu on Monday declared that Nigeria’s prosperity cannot be separated from the future of northern Nigeria.
Tinubu, represented by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, spoke at the Nigeria Investment and Industrialisation Summit in Abuja.
The summit, organised by the Northern Elders Forum, had the theme Unlocking Northern Nigeria’s Mining, Agricultural and Power Potentials (MAP2035).
Tinubu said his administration was already embarking on key industrialisation projects targeted at the North.
He insisted that if the region’s vast minerals, farmland and energy were fully unlocked, Nigeria would secure food security, industrial competitiveness and millions of jobs.
“The North is not just a part of the country. It is the engine of the country. Together, let us seize this moment to transform it into the powerhouse of Nigeria’s prosperity,” Edun quoted the President as saying.
He disclosed that Nigeria’s economy grew by 4.23 per cent in the second quarter of 2025, the strongest in a decade outside the COVID rebound. He also noted that inflation had begun to ease and the naira had stabilised.
According to him, the administration’s economic reforms under the Renewed Hope Agenda place mining, agriculture and power in the North at the heart of growth.
The President pointed to mineral deposits such as gold, lithium, zinc and limestone, saying reforms were underway to attract investors and benefit host communities. He also listed agriculture as the North’s heritage and future, stressing that 70 per cent of Nigeria’s arable land lies in the region.
On infrastructure, Tinubu highlighted the Sokoto–Badagry Highway as a transformative project that would link farms, dams and ports.
He added that the nearly completed Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano Pipeline would deliver gas for power generation and industrial use across the North.
“Imagine textiles in Kaduna, cement in Sokoto, fertiliser in Bauchi, agro-processing in Kano, and mining in Zamfara all powered by reliable energy,” the President said.
Also,Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, however, stressed that insecurity must be tackled to attract investment.
He urged the 19 Northern states to harmonise policies and build a “One-North Investment Policy” to create a predictable and friendly environment for investors.
He also called for a Northern Power Strategy, warning that no nation ever industrialised on generators.
On his part,Convener of the summit and Chairman of the Northern Elders Forum, Prof Ango Abdullahi, represented by Air Marshal Al’amin Daggash (retd.), described the initiative as a rallying call to action.
He argued that Northern Nigeria had always been the backbone of the country’s productive economy but remained constrained by weak infrastructure and poor access to finance.
“The North must rise with determination, unity and vision. If the North rises, Nigeria rises. And if Nigeria rises, Africa rises,” Abdullahi said.
