Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, says the North has sufficient human resources to address its development challenges if its elites unite and take decisive action.

The governor stated this on Sunday when the leadership of the Arewa Consultative Forum, led by its Board of Trustees Chairman, Alhaji Bashir Dalhatu (Wazirin Dutse), paid him a courtesy visit.

The ACF is a prominent pan-Northern socio?cultural organisation that advocates for the political and economic interests of the North.

Over the years, it has promoted inter?regional dialogue, investment in education and infrastructure, and collaboration across states.

Its renewed leadership plans, including a proposed Central Endowment Fund, reflect a shift from advocacy to tangible development interventions across the region.

He noted that the forum?s renewed leadership focus has created an opportunity for the region to move beyond complaints and take concrete steps toward development.

?For years, we have repeatedly spoken about our challenges ? poverty, education gaps, healthcare deficits, and other development issues. I believe we have reached a point where we must stop complaining and start acting,? he said.

According to the governor, the North has successful professionals and businessmen in every field of human endeavour, whose expertise can be harnessed for the benefit of the region.

?We have many successful northern professionals across different fields ? business, academia, entrepreneurship, medicine, and others. The missing link is bringing everyone together. The ACF can help bridge that gap by enabling us to benefit from their collective experience, achievements, and resources to uplift our people,? he added.

Sani commended ACF?s plans to establish a Central Endowment Fund, advising that it should emphasise skills acquisition in order to ?make our people self-reliant.?

The governor lamented that many northerners remain financially excluded because they do not have bank accounts and therefore cannot benefit from government social intervention programmes.

He recalled that one of his first decisions upon assuming office was to sign the first Executive Order on Financial Inclusion, and within one year, over 2.1 million poor people were onboarded into the financial system.

Sani also advised northern businessmen to invest in the financial sector, which would greatly assist small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the North, revealing that more than 60% of local government areas in the region lack a single bank branch.

?Today, there are over 4,000 branches of national banks in Nigeria, but only Kaduna and Kano states have about 100 branches. Meanwhile, some states in the South, with populations far smaller than Kano?s, have more bank branches than Kano, which has 44 local governments,? he said.

According to him, ACF remains one of the key platforms capable of addressing northern challenges because it is a neutral body without political bias.

The governor pointed out that a lack of synergy between ACF, the states, and northern political office holders had hampered the forum?s activities in the past, adding that the new leadership is charting a new course.

Sani also commended the forum?s leadership for reaching out to similar regional bodies such as Afenifere and Ohanaeze Ndigbo to build bridges of trust and understanding.

Earlier, Alhaji Bashir Dalhatu said the ACF delegation visited Sir Kashim Ibrahim House to formally notify Governor Sani of its forthcoming 25th anniversary celebrations, scheduled in Kaduna from November 20 to 22.

The BoT chairman thanked the governor for the support he has extended to the pan-northern socio-cultural group since assuming office over two years ago.

?Since its establishment, ACF has operated from offices belonging to the Kaduna State Government. When you assumed office, you graciously allocated the property to us permanently. We sincerely appreciate this generosity. For the first time, we are operating from premises we can call our own,? he said.

Dalhatu disclosed that Vice President Kashim Shettima will serve as a special guest at the occasion and that all ministers of northern extraction have promised to attend.

?As Chief Host, Your Excellency, we also seek your support in inviting your colleagues to give the celebration greater weight, productivity, and opportunities for meaningful exchange of ideas,? he told the governor.

According to him, ACF has reached out to socio-cultural groups in both the North and South and invited respected independent personalities to join the forum, exchange ideas, and open new avenues for building stronger national cohesion.

?We want to begin sustained dialogue with our brothers and sisters in the South, to share experiences and learn from each other, all in the spirit of promoting a strong, united Nigeria,? he added.

Dalhatu, who is also a former Minister of Steel Development, said ACF had visited the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa?ad Abubakar III, who promised to invite emirs from across northern states.

?We have engaged the leadership of Jumma?at mosques, the Deputy President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and other officials. We have circulated notices to state chapters across the region,? he added.

The guest speaker will be Alhaji Aliko Dangote, who has been given the option to speak on any topic, including his personal journey, which he described as ?a life story marked by resilience and overcoming great obstacles.?

Dalhatu added, ?We have also resolved to establish an endowment fund. For 25 years, ACF has spoken on behalf of the North. We believe the time has come to move beyond advocacy and begin implementing tangible community-based projects. This endowment will help us initiate programmes that provide social and economic upliftment. (The PUNCH)

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