Atiku, Dangote Warn Northern Leaders: Unite Now or Face Deeper Regional Decline

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and business magnate Aliko Dangote on Friday delivered strong warnings to northern leaders, stressing that the region risks worsening insecurity, economic decline and social instability unless it urgently rebuilds unity and resets its development priorities.

Speaking at the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) 25th anniversary dinner in Kaduna, Atiku cautioned that the North can no longer afford complacency as insecurity, poverty and educational setbacks continue to threaten its future.

He warned that without a shared vision and coordinated action, the region would “stagnate and sink deeper into insecurity”.

Atiku praised former ACF leaders for sustaining the forum through “thick and thin”, but said the moment calls for sincerity, reform and strategic planning rather than nostalgia.

He recalled that when he assumed office in 1999, he led efforts to reconcile the region’s fragmented political blocs. That initiative, headed by the Emir of Ilorin, Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, ultimately led to the establishment of the modern ACF.

Atiku emphasised that the forum was envisioned not just to foster political unity but also to drive development inspired by the legacy of Sir Ahmadu Bello. He noted that the Sardauna’s 1961 priorities — education, agriculture and industrial expansion — remain critical today.

He highlighted past efforts like the Northern Education Project, which exposed the decline in the region’s school system and prompted reforms that improved student enrolment and transitions. He also referenced the Northern Development Project (NDP), aimed at reviving agricultural value chains and adapting to climate-linked productivity challenges.

However, Atiku lamented that persistent obstacles — including energy poverty and multiple taxation — continue to hinder northern industries two decades later.

Warning that diversity was increasingly being weaponised by those spreading fear and misinformation, he urged northern leaders to learn from nations such as India and China that transformed their economies despite social pluralism.

Atiku further challenged decision-makers to address issues of rapid population growth, food production, education, job creation and the region’s preparedness for a global knowledge-driven economy.

“If ever there was a moment for the North to come together, that time is now,” he said.

Dangote’s Message

In his remarks, Aliko Dangote linked the North’s economic stagnation and rising insecurity to decades of inconsistent policies and severe electricity shortages.

He said many promising industries in the region collapsed because government policies “kept shifting the goalpost,” which discouraged investors.

Dangote said he once commissioned Arthur Andersen (now part of KPMG) to investigate why northern textile giants and other industrial enterprises failed despite strong beginnings. The study showed that unpredictable policies and unreliable power were primary factors.

He noted that the Dangote Group only connects to public electricity in South Africa and Ethiopia because Nigeria’s power grid is unstable.

“Without electricity, you cannot have growth, no matter how hard you try,” he cautioned.

He added that northern insecurity — including banditry, youth unemployment and mass economic displacement — is a direct outcome of years of neglect.

Dangote urged northern leaders to commit to a long-term reform agenda grounded in education, agriculture and industrial development, aligning with Atiku’s call for strategic reinvention.

He stressed that while the North has the land and population to become West Africa’s agricultural hub, poor planning and inconsistent investment continue to limit its potential.

According to him, unless decisive action is taken, the crises “will consume everyone, whether guilty or not”.

Despite the celebratory setting of the ACF’s 25th anniversary, both Atiku and Dangote insisted the milestone should serve as a warning. Their unified message: the North is at a critical crossroads, and failure to act could carry grave consequences.

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