New York:The seven governors from Nigeria’s northwest geopolitical zone have pledged to promote a unified regional agenda focused on peace, resilience, and economic opportunity, coinciding with the 2026 UN General Assembly’s 81st Session.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the governors convened at a special event in New York, organized by the Northwest Governors’ Forum in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). They emphasized the need for stronger international partnerships, development finance, and responsible investment to implement the Northwest Peace, Security and Development Framework for 2026-2030.
The event attracted participation from UN officials, led by Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, development partners, international financial institutions, private-sector leaders, philanthropies, and the diplomatic community. Participants agreed that sustainable peace requires investment in conditions that enable communities and economies to flourish.
The governors’ commitment signifies a strategic shift from fragmented responses to a coordinated regional approach. The seven states€”Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, and Zamfara€”are uniting under a single framework to tackle insecurity and vulnerability, while expanding livelihoods, jobs, essential services, and economic opportunity.
Northwest Nigeria, with a population exceeding 60 million, is pivotal to Nigeria’s food systems, domestic commerce, and regional trade. However, the region faces challenges such as insecurity, climate shocks, poverty, unemployment, displacement, and limited access to essential services. The governors are advocating for regional cooperation to effectively address these issues.
The Northwest Peace, Security and Development Framework, adopted in March 2026, serves as a strategic roadmap to address the root causes of fragility and foster inclusive and resilient growth. Supported by UNDP Nigeria and funded by the German Government, the framework integrates peace, security, and development into a cohesive regional agenda.
This initiative seeks to align government resources, official development assistance, development finance, philanthropic capital, and private investment around priority interventions. The goal is to create investment-ready portfolios that deliver tangible results in peace, resilience, jobs, and inclusive economic growth.
Key focus areas include climate-smart agriculture, renewable energy, trade infrastructure, digital innovation, human capital, social services, and local enterprise development. Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara emphasized the importance of investing in the region to secure its prosperity.
UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohamed praised the governors for their unified approach to peace and development, highlighting that security operations alone are insufficient without development.
The framework builds on the 2024 Northwest Peace and Security Summit and the strengthening of the Northwest Governors’ Forum Secretariat. UNDP has committed to supporting this locally-led initiative by enhancing policy and institutional capacity and facilitating connections with development partners and financial institutions.
The governors’ engagement at UNGA 81 occurs as regions worldwide seek innovative strategies for financing resilience and development. Northwest Nigeria’s experience underscores that local leadership, regional coordination, and aligned capital can transition communities from crisis response to sustainable economic opportunity.