Northern leaders have been tasked with seeking robust solutions to the numerous challenges confronting the region.
This call was made by Vice President Kashim Shettima at a stakeholders’ roundtable on Northern Nigerian Youth Development, organised by the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation in Abuja.
The theme of the roundtable was “Empowering the Next Generation: Strategies for Sustainable Youth Development in Northern Nigeria.”
Shettima, who represented President Tinubu, said that the legacies of Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Premier of Northern Nigeria, reinforce the conviction that the development of the North is central to the prosperity of Nigeria.
According to him, Nigeria cannot prosper unless every part of the country thrives.
“Whatever disrupts the growth of one region sets back the entire nation. We as leaders [need to] wear our thinking caps and come up with robust solutions to Northern Nigeria’s problems. It is not beyond us. It is not rocket science. We can do it.
“This is why we prioritise initiatives such as the Almajiri and Out-of-School Children Commission, which collaborates with all levels of government to ensure that every child has access to quality education.
“For the dividends of democracy to reach every corner of our nation, we must empower local governments to serve as pipelines of governance.
“This is why we have prioritised local government autonomy, enabling them to receive their full entitlements and improve primary education funding.
“But governance is a shared responsibility, and citizens must hold their leaders accountable to ensure that every child is given a fighting chance,” he added.
He urged northerners, particularly the youths, to imbibe the spirit of tolerance, work, and worship as embraced by the late Sardauna of Sokoto.
He said that the energy, creativity, and ingenuity of Nigerian youth offer the chance to not only transform Nigeria but also to lead Africa into a new era of growth and innovation.
