By HUSSAINA YAKUBU

President Bola Tinubu says insecurity remains the most troubling challenge facing Nigeria, especially the Northern region.

He said on Saturday in Kaduna that urgent efforts were required to rebuild trust, strengthen unity and restore safety across communities.

Tinubu, represented by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dr Tajudeen Abbas, spoke at the 25th Anniversary of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) and the launch of its Endowment Fund.

The president said insecurity must be tackled decisively to prevent further economic decline and educational setbacks.

Tinubu said, “Nothing troubles me more gravely than the security crisis bedevilling Nigeria, especially Northern Nigeria,

“We cannot prosper when one limb of the national body is paralysed.”

He said his administration inherited complex security challenges but was addressing them with “urgency and determination.”

The president said that the government was committed to eliminating terrorist and bandit groups operating in the North and reversing the region’s economic decline.

He expressed optimism about Northern Nigeria’s economic prospects, saying he looks forward to the day crude oil tankers begin to roll out from Kolmani and other northern oil fields.

Tinubu added that key infrastructure projects, including the Abuja – Kaduna – Kano Superhighway, were being fast-tracked for completion and commissioning.

He said the North must speak with honest and courageous voices to address its challenges, warning that the region cannot progress if leaders fail to protect vulnerable communities.

“We fail the day we sleep comfortably while millions sleep with empty bellies, the day fear becomes a permanent companion for travellers,” he said.

Tinubu added that although decades of dysfunction had strained unity, the diversity represented at the ACF anniversary demonstrated a collective resolve to resist division and restore solidarity.

The president praised the ACF for serving as the conscience of Northern Nigeria for 25 years, saying that the forum had consistently defended dignity, fairness and equality for millions.

He described the Silver Jubilee as a celebration of courage, advocacy and principled service.

Tinubu urged leaders across all sectors to recommit to the values that guided the founding of the ACF, stressing that the unity and stability of the North were vital to Nigeria’s overall peace and development. (NAN)