Nigeria’s President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reaffirmed his administration’s unwavering resolve to crush banditry and terrorism across Northern Nigeria, declaring that no part of the country will be allowed to “bleed in silence” under his watch.
Speaking in Kaduna at the 25th Anniversary of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), the President, who was represented by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajuddeen Abbas, acknowledged that his government inherited a deeply layered and sophisticated security crisis. Despite the challenge, he insisted the administration is determined to restore peace with urgency and firmness.
Tinubu warned that Nigeria cannot attain meaningful progress if a critical region such as the North remains “paralysed,” stressing that the stability of the region is indispensable to the peace and prosperity of the entire federation. “No part of Nigeria will bleed in silence” he said.
He praised the ACF for 25 years of service as the conscience of the North, describing the forum as a reservoir of thinkers, patriots, mediators, and moral voices. The President noted that the North is currently facing one of the gravest tests in its history—corroded security, collapsing communal ethics, and a weakened moral compass—but firmly stated the region has not failed.
He warned that failure would only occur “if leaders retreat from their responsibility to be their brothers’ keepers,” adding that leadership loses relevance the day leaders sleep peacefully while millions sleep hungry or travel in fear.
Beyond security, the President expressed optimism that the North is on the verge of an economic turnaround, citing the anticipated rollout of crude oil from the Kolmani fields and other emerging prospects across the region.
He listed ongoing infrastructure interventions, including accelerated rail, road, and water transport projects, and disclosed that the crucial Abuja–Kaduna–Kano Superhighway will be completed and commissioned in Kano in the coming months.
Tinubu also commended the proposed ACF Endowment Fund, describing it as a visionary step with its focus on girl-child education, youth skills development, peacebuilding, and conflict resolution. He concluded by urging Northern leaders across all sectors to recommit to the values on which the ACF was founded—courage, justice, fairness, and collective responsibility—emphasising that unity remains the region’s strongest weapon, without which security initiatives will sputter and opportunities will slip away.
