The Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation (SABMF) has called on Northern leaders to take urgent action to rebuild the region's economy, with particular emphasis on education, youth development, women's empowerment, and good governance. The Foundation released a comprehensive set of recommendations aimed at accelerating the social and economic renewal of Northern Nigeria, following an insightful virtual mentorship session with Hajiya Maryam Uwais, former Special Adviser to the President on Social Investment.
Key Recommendations for Rebuilding the North
The presentation, titled "The North: Our Women, Our Youth, Our Children, Rebuilding Our Value System," was delivered during the SABMF's Monthly Virtual Mentorship Programme. Hajiya Uwais explained that while insecurity, poverty, and unemployment remain urgent, the region's deeper crisis is the erosion of values, weak institutions, and underinvestment in human capital.
Education and Human Capital Development
In its response, SABMF called on federal and state governments, policymakers, development partners, traditional institutions, civil society, and the media to adopt eight key recommendations. The first is to prioritize education and human capital development. The Northern group stated that governments must urgently reduce the number of out-of-school children by expanding access to quality basic and secondary education. This includes rehabilitating schools, recruiting and training teachers, providing learning materials, deploying digital infrastructure, and ensuring school safety. Special emphasis should be placed on girl-child education as a driver of stronger families and long-term socio-economic progress.
Youth Empowerment Initiatives
Uwais advised federal and Northern governments to launch large-scale youth empowerment initiatives. Targeted programs in skills acquisition, entrepreneurship, digital literacy, agribusiness, renewable energy, vocational training, startup financing, mentorship, and internships are critical to reducing unemployment and vulnerability among the North's youth, described as the region's greatest asset.
Support for Women
The governments should strengthen support for women by expanding policies that improve women's access to education, healthcare, enterprise support, financial inclusion, and leadership. Women remain central to family stability, food production, commerce, and peacebuilding, she said.
Restoration of Values and Social Reorientation
Stressing the need to restore values and promote social reorientation, Hajiya Uwais added that a coordinated regional campaign involving schools, families, faith-based organizations, traditional institutions, youth groups, and the media should promote integrity, accountability, respect for life, hard work, justice, responsibility, tolerance, peaceful coexistence, and service to community.
Good Governance and Accountability
Among the other points of action, she listed promoting good governance and accountability, noting that public institutions must entrench transparency, prudent resource management, merit-based appointments, and citizen-focused service delivery. Leaders at all levels should demonstrate competence, fairness, humility, and measurable performance.
Security Collaboration and Peacebuilding
On deepening security collaboration and peacebuilding, she explained that security agencies, community leaders, traditional and religious leaders, and youth organizations should strengthen cooperation against insecurity, communal conflict, drug abuse, and violent extremism, using dialogue, intelligence sharing, civic engagement, and early warning systems alongside conventional measures.
Agriculture and Economic Opportunities
She further spoke on expanding agriculture and economic opportunities, pointing out the need for increased investment in irrigation, mechanization, agro-processing, livestock development, rural roads, storage systems, and market access to unlock the North's agricultural potential for employment, food security, and inclusive growth.
Responsible Media Engagement
She also spoke on encouraging responsible media engagement, stressing that the media should continue to highlight stories of innovation, youth success, women leadership, peacebuilding, and development opportunities. Balanced reporting can strengthen hope, unity, and investor confidence.
"No single institution can deliver transformation alone. The progress of Northern Nigeria requires unity of purpose, consistency of policy, and long-term commitment from governments, traditional rulers, religious leaders, civil society, the private sector, development partners, and citizens," the Foundation added.
