President Ahmed Tinubu declared on Tuesday that the development of Northern Nigeria remains fundamental to the nation’s prosperity.
Shortly after making the assertion, the President unveiled a comprehensive youth development strategy spanning multiple key sectors to drive Nigeria’s economic transformation.
Speaking during a Stakeholders Roundtable on Northern Youth Development organised by the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation in Abuja, Tinubu, who was represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, spoked glowingly of the legacy of the late Sardauna of Sokoto and former Premier of Northern Nigeria.
“The late Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto, was one of the towering giants on whose shoulders we have ascended as a nation.
“His vision was clear: the North cannot progress in isolation, and Nigeria cannot prosper unless every part of this nation thrives,” Tinubu said.
The President warned that “whatever disrupts the growth of one region sets back the entire nation”.
“For far too long, we have been taunted as a nation with the most children out of school—a reality that should not elicit pride but provoke urgent action. This alarming statistic has turned the promise of our population into a challenge rather than the dividend it ought to be,” he added.
Tinubu re-echoed his administration’s pioneering youth development initiatives, including the 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme and the Presidential Initiative for Youth Enterprise Clusters.
“Our creative and digital economy is another goldmine,” the President said, outlining programmes such as the Skill-Up Artisans Programme (SUPA), Nigerian Youth Academy (NIYA), and the National Youth Talent Export Programme (NATEP).
He listed other programmes to include the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) for higher education access, Investment in Digital and Creative Enterprises (iDICE) for digital entrepreneurship, the Outsource to Nigeria Initiative (OTNI) for global market participation, Youth Enterprise Clusters for business development, and the Renewed Hope Housing Scheme to address accommodation needs.
On agriculture, Tinubu emphasised the North’s strategic importance, saying, “Investments in agriculture and industrialisation will further position the North as Nigeria’s foremost agricultural hub.”
The President also announced plans for a National Youth Development Bank and a Youth Data Bank, describing them as crucial tools for “providing financial and informational support” to young Nigerians.
Addressing the region’s security challenges, Tinubu further outlined measures “to restore stability to the North,” including “strengthening community policing, rehabilitating displaced persons, and addressing cross-border challenges like smuggling and insurgency”.
