President Bola Ahmed Tinubu says insecurity remains his deepest concern, warning that without rebuilding trust, Nigeria will continue to face worsening security challenges, economic setbacks, and widening educational gaps.
The President, represented by House Speaker Abbas Tajudeen, spoke in Kaduna at the 25th Anniversary of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) and the launch of its Endowment Fund.
In his address titled “A Generation Summoned by a Crisis,” Tinubu said his administration inherited severe security problems but is tackling them with urgency.
“Nothing troubles me more gravely than the security crisis bedevilling Nigeria, especially Northern Nigeria. Affliction in any part of the country is a setback for all,” he said, noting that the scale of the crisis is daunting but solvable.
He urged Northern leaders to remain honest and courageous, saying the region must not abandon its duty to protect the vulnerable. “We fail the day we sleep comfortably while millions sleep hungry—the day fear becomes a permanent companion for travellers,” he said.
The President stressed that although decades of dysfunction have fractured unity, the North’s ethnic and religious diversity remains a source of strength.
He reaffirmed his government’s commitment to eliminating t+rrorist and bandit groups and reversing the region’s economic decline.
Tinubu expressed optimism about Northern Nigeria’s future, saying he looks forward to crude oil flowing from Kolmani and other Northern fields. He highlighted ongoing investments in critical infrastructure, including the Abuja–Kaduna–Kano Superhighway, expected to be inaugurated in Kano soon.
He noted that each generation faces its defining challenge and that today’s task is confronting the North’s security c@llapse and erosion of communal values.
Tinubu praised the ACF for 25 years of principled advocacy and for remaining a stabilising voice in national affairs.
The rise in genocide-related killings in Nigeria has sparked strong reactions across the country.
