President Bola Tinubu has once again said the persistent insecurity confronting Nigeria remains the toughest challenge facing the country, warning that the situation poses the greatest threat to national stability and development, particularly in the Northern region.
Speaking in Kaduna on Saturday through the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, the President said Nigeria must move swiftly to rebuild public confidence, strengthen unity and restore safety across affected communities.
Addressing participants at the 25th anniversary of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) and the launch of its Endowment Fund, Tinubu stressed that insecurity had become a major obstacle to economic recovery and educational advancement in the North.
According to him, no nation can achieve meaningful progress when any part of it remains engulfed in violence, adding that his administration inherited complex security challenges but is confronting them with renewed urgency.
Tinubu assured that government remains focused on dismantling terrorist and bandit networks operating across the region while also reversing the gradual economic decline affecting northern states.
He expressed confidence in the region’s economic future and said he looks forward to crude oil production ramping up at Kolmani and other newly identified oil fields in the North.
The President also highlighted ongoing infrastructure projects, including the Abuja–Kaduna–Kano Superhighway, which he said were being accelerated for completion and commissioning.
Tinubu urged northern leaders to speak boldly and truthfully about the region’s realities, warning that progress would remain elusive if vulnerable communities continued to suffer without adequate protection.
He lamented that decades of dysfunction and hardship had strained unity, but noted that the diverse gathering at the ACF anniversary showed the North’s resolve to rebuild trust and uphold solidarity.
The President commended the ACF for its 25 years of advocacy, calling the body a consistent defender of justice, equity and fairness for millions across Northern Nigeria.
He described the Silver Jubilee as a milestone in the forum’s history of principled leadership, urging stakeholders to recommit to the ideals on which the ACF was founded, as the stability of the North remains central to Nigeria’s peace and development.
