By Bitrus Kozah, Abuja
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 NEF, 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.
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 said 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 said 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 said that Northern Nigeria is blessed with abundant mineral wealth, fertile land, and vibrant human capital, but without modern infrastructure—railways, roads, power, and storage.
“This explains the growing preoccupation of government agencies and stakeholders with exploiting our region’s tremendous mineral resources,” he said.
He added that “for government policies to deliver meaningful impact, there must be deliberate commitment to the mining sector and its related services.”
“Imagine the multiplier effect—industrial growth, job creation, poverty reduction, and renewed prosperity for our people—if mining is properly harnessed, linked to value chains, and supported by strong infrastructure.”
He noted his “continuous concern that unless the government and financial sector review their policies, businesses based in Northern Nigeria will remain disadvantaged.”
He called for inclusive access so that landowners and communities in the North can be granted equitable access and priority in mining opportunities, so that the people on whose land these resources lie can directly participate in the prosperity they generate.
