By Femi Oyelola, Kaduna
Northern leaders, traditional rulers, security experts, and civil society organisations on Tuesday converged at Arewa House, Kaduna, for the Arewa Awareness Summit on Unity Against Insecurity, where they called for collective action, honest dialogue, and institutional reforms to tackle the region’s persistent security challenges.
The summit, organised by the Arewa for Peace, Unity, Cohesion and Development Initiative (ACI), was held under the theme: “Unity, Cooperation and Collective Action Against Insecurity.”
In his opening address, the Director-General of ACI, Dr. Abdullahi Idris, FNIM, FNIPR, described the gathering as a “definitive stand for unity against insecurity” and a strategic effort to move Northern Nigeria from rhetoric to tangible results.
“I come before you with a profound sense of duty and hopeful optimism for our future,” Dr. Idris said.
“We have set aside our political affiliations, tribal identities, and sectarian differences. We have come together as sons and daughters of the North, united by a shared heritage and common destiny. ‘One North, One Voice’ is no longer just a slogan; it is our collective mission for peace, security, and prosperity.”
He condemned the devastating effects of insurgency, banditry, and kidnapping, noting that the security crisis has weakened social cohesion and hindered the region’s development.
“We refuse to look away. We can no longer accept the paralysis of blame-shifting or the empty comfort of silence. The challenges before us are enormous, but our collective resolve must remain unshakable,” he said.
Dr. Idris stated that the summit would develop strategies to strengthen communication between communities and government institutions while identifying practical solutions to the root causes of conflict, including poverty, unemployment, and the erosion of traditional values.
Addressing key stakeholders, he said: “To our traditional and religious leaders, you remain the foundation of our society. Your influence must now drive reconciliation and peacebuilding. To our youth and women, you are the heartbeat of the North. Your energy, innovation, and vision are indispensable to this restoration process.”
The ACI Director-General also pledged that the resolutions of the summit would be sustained through quarterly dialogue sessions and the establishment of a network of Community Peace and Youth Ambassadors.
“This is not merely a moment in time; it is the beginning of a movement,” he said.
“Let this summit transform the narrative of the North from one of crisis to one of resilience, hope, and progress. Let us build a region where children grow up in safety, farmers cultivate their lands without fear, and every community thrives.”
Speaking as the Special Guest, Hon. Dr. Muhammad Ali described Northern Nigeria as being “plunged into an unprecedented abyss of insecurity,” citing terrorised communities across the North-West, displaced populations in the North-East, and widespread violence affecting farming communities in the North-Central.
“Thousands of innocent lives—mothers, fathers, and children—have been brutally lost. Agriculture has been disrupted, education is under siege by kidnappers, and local economies have suffered significant setbacks,” he said.
Dr. Ali criticised the response of the Federal Government and the political elite, arguing that it has largely relied on “reactive measures, routine condemnations, and temporary interventions rather than bold, structural solutions.”
He further alleged that many political leaders in the region had remained silent, placing “party loyalty and personal interests above the safety and welfare of the people they were elected to serve.”
The former lawmaker linked the worsening security situation to governance and accountability failures, particularly as Nigeria approaches another election cycle.
“The protection of lives and property is the primary responsibility of every government. When an administration presides over years of worsening insecurity and rising casualties, citizens have every right to question its capacity to govern effectively,” he said.
“There is no economic agenda, infrastructure project, or political alliance that can justify the continued loss of innocent lives. The North cannot afford to endorse leadership that has failed to secure its borders, markets, communities, and farmlands.”
The summit attracted traditional rulers, religious leaders, government officials, heads of security agencies, civil society organisations, development partners, youth and women groups, academics, policy experts, and members of the media.
Participants engaged in extensive discussions and conflict analysis aimed at developing a practical Regional Peace and Security Framework to guide coordinated interventions across Northern states.
The event concluded with a collective commitment by stakeholders to strengthen unity, enhance community vigilance, promote dialogue, and hold leaders accountable in the shared pursuit of lasting peace and security across the region.
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