Governor of Gombe State and Chairman of the Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF), Muhammadu Yahaya, has urged his colleagues to build on recent progress recorded in addressing insecurity across the North, stressing the need for sustained and intensified action.
Yahaya made the call during an NSGF meeting held in Abuja, where he acknowledged improvements in the region’s security situation since the forum last convened in December 2025, while warning against complacency.
His remarks were contained in an address delivered at the opening of the meeting and made available on Monday by the Director-General of Press Affairs, Gombe Government House.
“The security situation across parts of Northern Nigeria has shown measurable improvement. However, there is absolutely no room for complacency.
We must sustain and intensify our collective efforts to consolidate on the gains recorded,” he said.
He emphasised that ensuring the safety of lives and property remains central to development, adding that emerging threats must be firmly addressed to guarantee enduring peace in the region.
On efforts to strengthen the forum, Yahaya noted that ongoing institutional reforms were beginning to produce positive outcomes, stating that a more structured NSGF would improve coordination and execution of policies among member states.
The governor also provided updates on the proposed Northern States Security Trust Fund, revealing that several states had already begun making contributions.
“This initiative represents a bold and practical step towards strengthening our regional security architecture through sustainable funding and collaborative engagement,” he said.
He commended Nasarawa, Gombe, Borno, Kebbi, and Kaduna states for leading the way with payments and called on other states to follow promptly.
He also stressed the importance of each state appointing a trustee to ensure transparency and effective management of the fund.
Regarding plans for an NSGF secretariat, Yahaya observed that only a handful of states had met their financial obligations and urged others to accelerate their contributions.
Addressing the ongoing national conversation on state policing, the NSGF chairman reiterated the forum’s backing for the initiative, noting that Nigeria’s security challenges demand localised approaches.
“The nature and complexity of the security challenges we face require localised, intelligence-driven responses that only state policing can effectively provide,” he said.
He further praised President Bola Tinubu for supporting constitutional amendments to enable the establishment of state police, describing it as “a significant step forward.”
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Despite the progress, Yahaya pointed out that insecurity in the North is closely linked to deeper socio-economic challenges such as poverty, unemployment, and illiteracy.
“If we are to achieve lasting peace, we must invest deliberately and massively in education, human capital development, and economic opportunities for our people,” he said, identifying the high number of out-of-school children as a pressing issue that requires urgent intervention.
He also raised concerns about recurring clashes between farmers and herders as the rainy season approaches, calling for proactive steps to prevent further violence.
In this regard, he expressed support for the Federal Government’s livestock transformation programme as a long-term solution.
Yahaya concluded by urging leaders and residents of the region to work collectively with the Federal Government in tackling the country’s challenges.
“The expectations of our people are high, and rightly so. History beckons on us to rise above all differences and act decisively in the interest of our region and our country,” he said.
Northern Nigeria has continued to face a range of security threats in recent years, including banditry, terrorism, kidnapping, and farmer-herder conflicts, affecting multiple states across the region.
To address these challenges, governors under the NSGF have been pursuing coordinated measures such as closer collaboration with security agencies, the establishment of a regional security trust fund, and support for constitutional reforms to enable the creation of state police.
The debate over state policing has also gained momentum nationwide, with supporters arguing that decentralised policing would enhance intelligence gathering and response times to local threats, while critics have expressed concerns about potential misuse by state authorities.