Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has stressed the need to treat insecurity and poverty in Northern Nigeria as national emergency. Dogara and other speakers made the appeal during a panel session at the Nigeria Investment and Industrialization Summit (NNIIS) 2025, held in Abuja.
Dogara in his presentation urged Governors in the region to prioritise security and pull resources, warning that Nigeria’s progress depends on developing the north. Former Senate President Bukola Saraki noted that the crisis requires a broader national response, not just regional efforts, and called for a clear development plan involving federal, state and private sector roles.
The Keynote speaker, Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, said northern Nigeria holds enormous opportunities and could position itself as a gateway for trade across Africa by developing cross-border e-commerce platforms and digital cust
Dogara in his presentation urged Governors in the region to prioritise security and pull resources, warning that Nigeria’s progress depends on developing the north. Former Senate President Bukola Saraki noted that the crisis requires a broader national response, not just regional efforts, and called for a clear development plan involving federal, state and private sector roles.
The Keynote speaker, Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, said northern Nigeria holds enormous opportunities and could position itself as a gateway for trade across Africa by developing cross-border e-commerce platforms and digital customs systems. Also speaking, former spokesperson of the Coalition of Northern Groups, Abdulazeez Suleiman, noted that the region is just beginning to showcase its vast untapped potential to the world.
While presenting a summary of the summit, the Director-General of Northern Elders Forum, Prof. Doknan Sheni, said participants must move beyond rhetoric and implement the decisions reached at the summit. High point of the summit was the signing and adoption of the Northern Nigeria Integrated Economic Development Charter, which will guide collective action to drive transformation in the region.
