By Aliyu Bala Gerengi, Gombe
Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, has called for stronger implementation and accountability mechanisms to ensure that resolutions of the North-East Governors’ Forum, NEGF, translate into measurable improvements in the lives of citizens.
Governor Inuwa Yahaya made the call on Saturday in Maiduguri, Borno State, while delivering his opening remarks at the 13th meeting of the North-East Governors’ Forum.
He said the Forum, established in 2020, had recorded significant progress in regional cooperation, particularly in infrastructure, energy, connectivity, trade and economic development.
The Governor cited the rehabilitation of strategic roads, renewed efforts towards regional power and connectivity, the revival of the North-East Trade Fair and progress towards establishing a regional airline as some of the key achievements of the Forum.
He said the collective efforts of the six North-East states had demonstrated the importance of working together to address challenges that transcend individual state boundaries.
Governor Inuwa Yahaya noted that the Forum was established because challenges such as insurgency, banditry, cross-border crime, infrastructure deficits, energy shortages and the humanitarian crisis could not be effectively tackled by states acting independently.
He said six years and twelve meetings after its establishment, the NEGF had evolved into an institutional platform with a Secretariat, Technical Working Committee of Secretaries to State Governments, Technical Working Group of experts and sectoral committees.
On infrastructure, Governor Inuwa Yahaya said the Forum jointly presented 17 strategic road projects, the Port Harcourt-Jos-Bauchi-Maiduguri rail corridor and frontier oil exploration opportunities at Kolmani and the Lake Chad Basin to the Federal Government in September 2025.
He said the Federal Government subsequently commenced the rehabilitation of the Dikwa-Gamboru Ngala and Bama-Banki roads, covering about 99 kilometres of strategic corridors critical to security, recovery and cross-border trade.
He added that the Akwanga-Jos-Bauchi-Gombe-Biu-Maiduguri highway had also been adopted as a legacy road project of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
On energy, the Governor said the Forum had promoted a regional approach to power development, noting that the Dadinkowa Hydropower Plant was now feeding the national grid.
He said the new electricity law had also created opportunities for states to reform their electricity markets and expand renewable energy solutions, including solar power and mini-grids.
Governor Inuwa Yahaya also cited the revival of the North-East Trade Fair in Bauchi in 2024 as an example of a Forum resolution translated into concrete action.
He said the region’s decision to pool resources had further been demonstrated through the N30 billion financing plan, with each of the six states contributing N5 billion, towards the establishment of a North-East regional airline.
In education and human capital development, the Governor said all six states had domesticated the Education Law 2022 and established the North-East Education Council.
He added that various state-level initiatives were being implemented to address the challenges of Almajiri and out-of-school children.
On healthcare, Governor Inuwa Yahaya said Commissioners of Health across the region had established a regional health platform to strengthen collaboration, improve responsiveness and facilitate the exchange of best practices.
He said the Forum had also transformed insecurity from six separate state challenges into a shared regional responsibility.
According to him, the regional security approach combines military action with interventions addressing the underlying causes of insecurity, including poverty, unemployment, illiteracy, drug abuse and illegal mining.
He cited community-based security structures, including GOSTEC in Gombe and the Taraba Marshals, as examples of initiatives from which other states could draw lessons.
Governor Inuwa Yahaya said the collective efforts of the Forum had contributed to changing the national and international perception of the North-East, with the focus gradually shifting from emergency humanitarian assistance to recovery, resettlement, stabilisation and long-term development.
He, however, cautioned that significant challenges remained, stressing that Boko Haram had been weakened but not completely defeated, while banditry and communal clashes were emerging as additional threats.
The Governor identified the Mambilla hydropower project, railway connectivity to the region and broadband infrastructure as outstanding priorities requiring sustained advocacy.
He also called for the Kolmani oil exploration project to translate into actual production, employment and revenue, while urging the responsible exploitation of the region’s solid mineral resources.
Governor Inuwa Yahaya expressed concern over the persistent challenge of out-of-school children and weak health indicators across the region, calling for sustained regional interventions.
He therefore called for the establishment of stronger implementation and accountability mechanisms to bridge the gap between resolutions adopted by the Forum and results delivered to citizens.
He welcomed proposals for the establishment of a Results and Delivery Unit within the NEGF Secretariat, a dashboard for tracking federal infrastructure commitments, a regional power master plan, a stronger security and intelligence framework and a focused portfolio of flagship projects.
Looking beyond the North-East, Governor Inuwa Yahaya said many of the region’s challenges were interconnected with those affecting northern Nigeria, including insecurity, poverty, unemployment, climate change, desertification, out-of-school children and infrastructure deficits.
He said the experience of the NEGF demonstrated that sub-regional cooperation could provide a practical model for addressing challenges that cut across state boundaries.
The Governor disclosed that the Northern States Governors’ Forum was being restructured, with efforts to strengthen its institutions, coordination, technical capacity and implementation across the 19 northern states.
He said the reforms included the establishment of the Northern Nigeria Security Trust Fund to provide a sustainable pooled source of support for security and peacebuilding initiatives across the region.
He also announced plans to reform the New Nigeria Development Company, NNDC, to restore its role as a vehicle for investment, enterprise and economic development across northern Nigeria.
Governor Inuwa Yahaya stressed that the reforms were intended to complement, rather than replace, existing sub-regional platforms such as the NEGF.
He said the progress recorded over the past six-and-a-half years had demonstrated the ability of the six states to reach collective agreements, adding that the next phase should focus on delivering measurable results for the people.
In his remarks, the host Governor of Borno State, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, commended the Federal Government for interventions supporting recovery and economic resilience in the North-East, particularly the One Billion Dollar Household Prosperity and Economic Social Protection Project, HOPE-SP.
Governor Zulum said the intervention was significant for a region that had experienced prolonged insecurity, displacement, disrupted livelihoods and humanitarian dependence.
He stressed the need to move from relief to recovery and sustainable prosperity by supporting the return of displaced persons with access to housing, education, healthcare and economic opportunities.
The Borno State Governor also acknowledged improvements in the security situation across the North-East, attributing the progress to the sacrifices of the Armed Forces and other security agencies, the resilience of the people and the commitment of governments at all levels.
About The Author
