Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, has urged Northern leaders and professionals to pool their resources and expertise to tackle the region’s longstanding development challenges.
He made the call on Sunday, November 16, during a visit from the leadership of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), led by its Board of Trustees Chairman, Alhaji Bashir Dalhatu.
The ACF, a prominent pan-Northern socio-cultural organisation, has historically advocated for the political and economic interests of the North, promoting dialogue, investment in education and infrastructure, and inter-state collaboration.
Its new leadership has shifted focus toward actionable development initiatives, including the establishment of a Central Endowment Fund.
“For years, we have repeatedly spoken about our challenges — poverty, education gaps, healthcare deficits, and other development issues. I believe we have reached a point where we must stop complaining and start acting,” Governor Sani said.
The governor highlighted the wealth of Northern talent across business, academia, medicine, and entrepreneurship, emphasising the importance of bringing these individuals together.
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“We have many successful northern professionals… The missing link is bringing everyone together. The ACF can help bridge that gap by enabling us to benefit from their collective experience, achievements, and resources to uplift our people,” he added.
He also praised ACF’s plan for the Central Endowment Fund, encouraging a focus on skills development to make communities self-reliant.
Sani pointed out that many northerners remain financially excluded, noting that over 2.1 million poor citizens have been onboarded into the financial system under his administration’s inclusion policy.
Dalhatu briefed the governor on ACF’s upcoming 25th anniversary celebrations in Kaduna from November 20 to 22, with Vice President Kashim Shettima as a special guest.
He said the event would include participation from northern ministers and engagement with southern socio-cultural groups to strengthen national cohesion.
“We believe the time has come to move beyond advocacy and begin implementing tangible community-based projects.
“This endowment will help us initiate programmes that provide social and economic upliftment,” Dalhatu said, highlighting ACF’s commitment to turning dialogue into concrete development outcomes.