The seven Northwest governors have called for stronger regional cooperation and international partnerships to tackle insecurity, expand economic opportunities and accelerate development across the region.
The governors made the call in New York during a High-Level Side Event on the Northwest Peace, Security and Development Framework, where they presented their common plan for peace, security and development to international partners.
The event was attended by Katsina State Governor and Chairman of the Northwest Governors’ Forum, Dikko Umar Radda; Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal; Kebbi State Governor, Nasir Idris; and Sokoto State Deputy Governor, Idris Mohammed Gobir, who represented Governor Ahmad Aliyu.
Representatives of the Federal Government, United Nations, development and financial institutions, civil society organisations and other partners also attended the event.
Speaking on behalf of the seven governors, Radda said the framework represented a collective decision by the states to address challenges that transcend individual state boundaries.
“This Framework does not belong to one Governor. It does not belong to the Chairman of the Forum. And it does not belong to the Secretariat. It belongs to the Northwest,” Radda said.
He said although the seven states had different histories, priorities and strengths, their populations, markets and economies remained interconnected, while security challenges also crossed state boundaries.
Using the Hausa saying, “Tsintsiya madaurinki ɗaya,” meaning a broom derives strength from being bound together, Radda said the region could retain the identity of individual states while cooperating on shared challenges.
The governor identified security as one of the region’s major challenges but stressed that military operations alone could not guarantee lasting peace.
“Security must be accompanied by opportunity. Stabilisation must be accompanied by development. And public investment must create space for responsible private capital,” he said.
Radda said the regional plan was aimed at creating conditions where farmers could increase production and access larger markets, young people could acquire skills and establish businesses, women could participate fully in economic and public life, and communities affected by insecurity could rebuild.
He said the Northwest’s population, agricultural capacity, natural resources and productive sectors offered significant investment opportunities if supported by sound policies, stronger institutions, infrastructure and effective coordination.
Radda therefore urged development partners and financial institutions to support funding arrangements capable of attracting investment into underserved communities.
He also called on private investors to reconsider perceptions of the region and examine its economic opportunities beyond security challenges.
“To the private sector, we say: look again at the Northwest. Look beyond the headlines. Look at the people, the markets, the productive sectors and the opportunities that can be created when governments coordinate,” he said.
The chairman said the seven governors must also take responsibility for implementing the framework by strengthening institutions, improving coordination and ensuring accountability.
He said the success of the framework would not be measured by the number of meetings held or documents produced but by whether communities became safer, livelihoods improved and displaced families were able to rebuild.
“We do not claim to have all the answers. But we are willing to do the work. We are willing to learn. We are willing to reform. And we are willing to partner,” Radda said.
Earlier, the Director-General of the Northwest Governors’ Forum, Maryam Musa Yahaya, said the framework emerged from the decision of the seven states to address their common challenges collectively.
Yahaya said insecurity, poverty and displacement were serious challenges but should not define the identity of the region.
“We refuse to allow a difficult chapter to become the title of our entire story. Our story did not begin with fragility, and it will not end there,” she said.
She traced the development of the framework to the inaugural Northwest Peace and Security Summit held in Katsina State in June 2024.
According to her, discussions at the summit initially focused on security but later expanded to issues including livelihoods, jobs, displacement, investment and public confidence.
Yahaya said the Northwest Governors’ Forum, with support from the United Nations Development Programme and other partners, subsequently consulted governments, communities, civil society groups, traditional institutions, women and young people throughout 2025.
She said all seven governors adopted the framework by March 2026, providing the political backing required for implementation.
“We did not develop this Framework because we were coming to the General Assembly. We came to the General Assembly because we had developed it. We had done the work at home, we had agreed on a direction, and now the conversation must move from ambition to implementation,” she said.
Yahaya also acknowledged the role of United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, in supporting stronger regional cooperation and the development of the Northwest Governors’ Forum and its Secretariat.
She said the next phase of the initiative must place communities at the centre, particularly women, young people, farmers, entrepreneurs and families displaced by insecurity.
“Our message today is not: come and rescue us. Nor is it: come and solve our problems. Our invitation is much simpler: come and build with us,” Yahaya said.
In her remarks, Mohammed commended the Northwest governors for presenting a common plan and speaking with one voice on regional development.
She said stability in the Northwest had implications beyond the seven states, extending to Nigeria, West Africa and the Sahel.
Mohammed also highlighted the region’s contribution to Nigeria’s food production, saying the seven states accounted for about one-third of reported maize production and close to two-fifths of reported rice production during the main farming season of the 2022/2023 agricultural survey.
She said the region’s livestock, mineral resources, trade routes and youthful population provided a strong foundation for investment, particularly when supported by roads, electricity, skills and market access.
However, Mohammed stressed that sustainable stability required more than security operations, saying communities also needed justice, functional schools and health facilities, stronger institutions, climate-resilient agriculture and employment opportunities.
“Every naira and every dollar invested in the Northwest is an investment in peace, and should be designed that way from the start,” she said.
The UN deputy secretary-general commended the governors for committing their own resources to the regional framework, saying such ownership would provide a basis for development partners to contribute.
She called for better coordination of funding, with state budgets providing initial capital, development assistance supporting institutions and project preparation, international financial institutions providing long-term financing, and businesses bringing technology, markets and investment.
Mohammed said the UNDP, through its Beyond Crisis Action Agenda, was developing a proposal for a Northwest-led Stabilisation-to-Transformation Programme and Financing Platform to support recovery, job creation, stronger institutions, development financing and responsible investment.
She also drew attention to more than 700,000 people displaced from their homes in the Northwest, saying regional funding must translate into practical improvements for affected communities.
Mohammed urged the governors and their partners to consider a community resilience and social action arrangement through which communities could identify priorities and receive support for projects such as feeder roads, classrooms, markets and water facilities.
She stressed that women and young people should have a strong voice in determining those priorities.
The UN official also urged the governors to identify an initial list of projects for implementation and called on development and investment partners to support project preparation, risk-sharing and long-term financing.
“The Governors have brought one plan for seven states to New York. Now all of us in this room need to help them deliver it,” Mohammed said.
She assured the governors of the UN’s support, declaring, “The United Nations is with you.”
Radda, in his closing remarks, said the seven states were prepared to work, learn, reform and partner with institutions committed to supporting lasting peace and development in the Northwest.
West Trybe reports that the Northwest Peace, Security and Development Framework provides a regional platform for the seven states to coordinate responses to insecurity, displacement, economic challenges and development needs while seeking international financing and private-sector investment for its implementation.
