From: Femi Oyelola in Kaduna
Governor Uba Sani has stated that the North has sufficient human resources to address its development challenges if the elites come together to forge a way forward.
The Governor made this remark during a courtesy visit from the leadership of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), led by Alhaji Bashir Dalhatu, Wazirin Dutse. He emphasized that the current leadership has renewed its focus on addressing these issues.
“For years, we have repeatedly discussed our challenges — poverty, educational gaps, healthcare deficits, and other developmental issues. I believe we have reached a point where we must stop complaining and start taking action,” he added.
According to the Governor, the North is home to many successful professionals and businesspeople across various fields, whose expertise can be harnessed for the region’s benefit.
“We have many accomplished Northern professionals in diverse fields – business, academia, entrepreneurship, medicine, and others. The key is bringing everyone together,” he explained.
Governor Uba Sani noted that the ACF can play a pivotal role in bridging this gap by enabling collective experiences, achievements, and resources to benefit the people.
He commended the ACF’s plans to establish a Central Endowment Fund, advocating that it should emphasize skills acquisition to make the community self-reliant.
The Governor lamented the high number of northerners who are financially excluded because they lack bank accounts and, as a result, cannot benefit from government social intervention programs.
He recalled that one of the first decisions he made upon taking office was signing the First Executive Order on Financial Inclusion, which successfully onboarded over 2.1 million poor individuals onto the financial system within a year.
He also encouraged northern businessmen to invest in the financial sector, which would significantly assist small and medium enterprises in the North, revealing that more than 60% of local governments in the region lack even a single bank branch.
“Today, as we speak, there are over 4,000 branches of national banks in Nigeria. Yet, only Kaduna and Kano states have about 100 branches each. In contrast, certain southern states, which constitute less than 20% of the population of Kano State, have more bank branches than Kano State, which has 44 local governments,” he pointed out.
According to him, the ACF remains one of the key platforms capable of addressing the challenges confronting the North, as it is a neutral body without political bias.
He highlighted that the lack of synergy between ACF and northern state political office holders had hampered the forum’s activities in the past. However, he noted that the new leadership is charting a new course.
Governor Uba Sani praised the ACF leadership for reaching out to similar regional bodies such as Afenifere and Ohanaeze Ndigbo to foster trust and understanding.
Earlier, Alhaji Bashir Dalhatu, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, stated that the ACF delegation visited Sir Kashim Ibrahim House to formally inform Governor Uba Sani about its upcoming 25th Anniversary celebrations, scheduled to take place in Kaduna from November 20 to 22.
The BoT Chairman expressed gratitude to the Governor for the continued support extended to the pan-Northern socio-cultural group since he assumed office over two years ago.
“Since its establishment, the ACF has operated from offices belonging to the Kaduna State Government. When you took office, you graciously allocated permanent premises to us. We sincerely appreciate this generosity. For the first time, we are operating from a location we can truly call our own,” he added.
The Chairman announced that Vice President Kashim Shettima will be the special guest at the celebratory event, with all ministers from the Northern region expected to attend.
“As Chief Host, Your Excellency, we also seek your support in inviting your fellow governors to enhance the celebration’s significance, productivity, and opportunities for meaningful dialogue,” he requested of the Governor.
He noted that the ACF has also reached out to socio-cultural groups in both the North and South, inviting respected independent personalities to join them in exchanging ideas and, perhaps for the first time, fostering new avenues for building stronger national cohesion.
“We wish to begin sustained dialogue with our brothers and sisters in the South to share experiences and learn from each other, all in the spirit of promoting a strong and united Nigeria,” he added.
Alhaji Bashir Dalhatu, who also served as the former Minister of Steel Development, revealed that the ACF had met with His Eminence the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, who promised to invite emirs from across the Northern states.
“We have engaged with the leadership of Jumma’at mosques, the Deputy President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and other officials. We have circulated notices to state chapters to further our efforts,” he concluded.
