Abuja: Stakeholders under the auspices of the Northern Nigeria Elders Forum have set a ten-year roadmap to revitalize the northern region as it held its maiden edition of the Northern Nigeria Investment and Industrialisation Summit. The Convener of the Northern Elders Forum, Professor Ango Abdullahi, who was represented by its Chairman, Retired Air-Marshal Al Amin Daggash, said the two-day summit, which was held in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, is a rallying call to action and a decisive step toward building a sustainable economic future for Northern Nigeria.
According to Voice of Nigeria, the stakeholders described the summit as historic and not political, with a mission for prosperity. The theme of this year’s Summit is: ‘Unlocking Northern Nigeria’s Mining, Agricultural and Power Potentials (MAP2035),’ with a 10-year blueprint for transformation. Retired Air-Marshal Al’amin Daggash stated that the framework is ‘designed to reposition Northern Nigeria as a hub of innovation, industrialisation, and inclusive growth.’
He noted that the backbone of Northern Nigeria’s economy, from colonial times through the early years of independence, was agriculture and an extensive network of rail lines. The Chairman also emphasized that the Northern region ‘has always been the engine room of Nigeria’s productive economy,’ but is faced with the challenge of infrastructure to link its vast resources to markets.
He highlighted that Northern Nigeria is endowed with abundant mineral wealth, fertile land, and vibrant human capital, but lacks modern infrastructure such as railways, roads, power, and storage. This, he explained, has led to a growing focus by government agencies and stakeholders on exploiting the region’s tremendous mineral resources.
Daggash further explained that for government policies to deliver meaningful impact, there must be a deliberate commitment to the mining sector and its related services. He envisioned the multiplier effect of properly harnessing mining, linking it to value chains, and supporting it with strong infrastructure, which could lead to industrial growth, job creation, poverty reduction, and renewed prosperity for the people.
He expressed his ongoing concern that unless the government and financial sector review their policies, businesses based in Northern Nigeria will continue to face disadvantages. He advocated for inclusive access so that landowners and communities in the North can be granted equitable access and priority in mining opportunities, ensuring that the people on whose land these resources lie can directly participate in the prosperity they generate.