We’re taking steps to address insecurity, disunity in North – ACF

The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) on Monday said it is taking decisive steps to address the growing insecurity and lack of unity in Northern Nigeria.

In an interview with the Daily Trust, ACF National Publicity Secretary, Professor Tukur Muhammad-Baba, said the region can no longer remain passive in the face of increasing banditry and terrorism, which have significantly disrupted lives, agriculture, and travel.

The ACF formed two committees to tackle the challenges. One is headed by the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Alhaji Yayale Ahmed.

The committee is responsible for recommending realistic strategies to strengthen inter-group relations and promote peaceful coexistence across northern communities.

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The other panel, chaired by a former Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General AbdulRahman Dambazau (retired), is tasked with proposing solutions to the region’s ongoing security crises.

These committees were established after a Board of Trustees (BoT) meeting, which identified both internal and external factors affecting Northern Nigeria.

Professor Muhammad-Baba highlighted how banditry and terrorism, initially localised in states like Zamfara, have spread to other areas, including Sokoto, Katsina, Kaduna, Kebbi and Niger, crippling the region’s agriculture and economy.

He stressed that while the federal and state governments have made efforts, their responses have not been sufficient given the escalating nature of the crises.

He said the region also faces deep-seated socio-economic problems, with Northern Nigeria leading in poverty, underdevelopment and poor living standards.

Citing recent report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), he said over 80% of those facing multidimensional poverty in the country resides in the North.

This growing disparity between the North and other parts of Nigeria has fuelled the urgency for collective action, he said.

In addition to insecurity, he said the ACF is prioritising restoring unity among the diverse ethnic and religious groups in the North, which have been increasingly divided.

The forum, according to him, is also committed to addressing the region’s poor educational and developmental outcomes, including supporting initiatives like the Almajiri and Out-of-School Children’s Education Commission.

Muhammad-Baba expressed optimism that with widespread support and a strategic, non-governmental approach, the ACF’s efforts would bring about meaningful change.