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Northern Nigeria in danger of total collapse, Dangote, Atiku warn
Africa’s richest person, Aliko Dangote and former vice president Atiku Abubakar have warned that northern Nigeria may further slide into chaos and become totally deserted by investors if the current state of insecurity is not brought under control.
They gave the warning, directly to northern leaders, at the Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, 25th anniversary dinner in Kaduna.
Dangote, a foreman industrialist and founder of Dangote Group, linked the North’s slow economic growth and rising insecurity to decades of policy inconsistency and chronic electricity shortages.
He said many promising northern industries collapsed because government policies “kept shifting the goalpost,” eroding investor confidence.
He recalled commissioning Arthur Andersen (now part of KPMG) to study why northern textile magnates and other industrialists failed despite strong starts.
The findings, he said, pointed largely to unpredictable government policies and an unreliable power supply. Dangote disclosed that his group connects to public electricity only in South Africa and Ethiopia, because of Nigeria’s unstable grid.
“Without electricity, you cannot have growth, no matter how hard you try,” he warned.
He added that today’s insecurity — banditry, youth joblessness and economic displacement — is a direct consequence of long-standing neglect.
Dangote urged northern leaders to commit to a coherent, long-term economic roadmap anchored on education, industry and agriculture, aligning with the transformation agenda highlighted by Atiku.
He noted that the North has the landmass and population to become West Africa’s food hub, but remains far from realising that potential due to poor planning and inconsistent investment.
He cautioned that unless urgent steps are taken, the crises confronting the region “will consume everyone, whether guilty or not”.
Despite the celebratory tone of the ACF’s silver jubilee, both leaders stressed that the anniversary should serve as a wake-up call.
He cautioned that without a clear vision and collective resolve, the region would “stagnate and sink deeper into insecurity”.
On his part, Atiku praised past ACF leaders for sustaining the body through “thick and thin”. But, he insisted, nostalgia must give way to honest assessment and strategic action.
He recalled how, upon assuming office in 1999, he led efforts to unify the region’s divided political blocs through a reconciliation committee chaired by the Emir of Ilorin, Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari — a process that birthed the modern ACF.
Atiku stressed that the forum was conceived not only to foster political harmony, but to drive development in line with the vision of Sir Ahmadu Bello.
He cited the Sardauna’s 1961 priorities — education, agriculture and industrial growth — noting that they remain more urgent today than ever.
He outlined past initiatives such as the Northern Education Project, which exposed the region’s crumbling school system and triggered reforms that boosted enrolment and transition rates.
He also referenced the Northern Development Project, NDP, which sought to rebuild agricultural value chains and address climate-induced productivity challenges. Yet, he lamented that key obstacles — from energy poverty to multiple taxation — still plague northern industries two decades on.
Warning that diversity was becoming a weapon in the hands of adversaries exploiting fear and disinformation, Atiku urged the North to emulate countries like India and China, which have achieved economic transformation despite vast pluralism.
He challenged northern leaders to confront questions of population growth, food security, education, jobs and the region’s readiness for a knowledge-driven global economy.
“If ever there was a moment for the North to come together, that time is now,” he said.
The Supreme Court of Nigeria will on Thursday, deliver judgments in two cases involving the leadership crises rocking the African Democratic Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party.
According to information on the official website of the court, the matters, listed under “Political Appeals”, have been added to the cause list for Thursday, April 30, 2026.
While judgment in the ADC matter, marked SC/CV/180/2026, has been fixed for 2 pm, there is no time yet for that if the PDP.
President Bola Tinubu has written the Senate, seeking the screening and subsequent confirmation of fifteen nominees to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).
The letter was read by the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio.
The letter seeks the reconstitution of the commission’s board in line with statutory provisions with the list comprising nominees from diverse professional backgrounds, including the media and legal sectors.
Among the nominees are the President, Nigeria Guild of Editors and Editor, Vanguard Newspapers, Mr. Eze Anaba; and Dr. Salamatu Hussaina Suleiman, who has been proposed as chairman of the board.
The Executive Secretary of the Commission, Dr. Anthony Ojukwu (SAN) is to retain his position as the Chief Executive Officer.
Other nominees include Mrs Roseline Tasha, Ambassador Adam Yubak Baku, ACG Felix Lawrence, Mr. Edmund Chinonye, Mr. Chinonye Obiaku (SAN), Oluwakemi Asiwaju Okere-Odo, Professor Adedeji Ogunji, Kingsley Chidozie, Mohammed Adelodu, Maupe Ogun Yusuf, and Otunba Francis Meshioye as members.
Also nominated are Patience Patrick and Hawwa Ibrahim, listed as members.
The President said the nominations were made pursuant to Section 2(3) of the National Human Rights Commission (Establishment) Act, 2010, which empowers him to constitute the board subject to Senate confirmation.
He explained that the reconstitution of the board was necessary to enhance the commission’s institutional capacity and enable it to more effectively discharge its mandate to promote and protect human rights across the country.
If confirmed, the new board is expected to play a critical role in reinforcing the NHRC’s oversight functions, particularly at a time of heightened concerns over rights protection and accountability in Nigeria.
Following the presentation of the request, the Senate referred the nominations to its Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters for screening and report within two weeks.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has revealed that it investigated the founder of Streams of Joy International, Pastor Jerry Eze, for six months over suspected money laundering before clearing him.
Ola Olukoyede, chairman of the Commission, disclosed this on Wednesday while speaking at the Jerry Eze Foundation Business Grant Award Ceremony in Abuja.
According to him, the probe was triggered by intelligence reports and petitions after the commission observed large inflows of foreign currencies into the cleric’s domiciliary account.
“We work by intelligence, we work by petitions. At some point, I saw there was an account, a domiciliary account. Dollars, pounds were dropping in like raindrops, from Colombia, from America, from Sri Lanka, even from Togo.
“I said who is this man? Yes, I’ve been hearing about his name, I’ve seen his face a couple of times. I never bothered about what he was doing. I knew he was a pastor.
“So they said this one pastor of streams of joy, go and investigate him. So we went to the investigation. We combed the books,” Olukoyede stated.
The EFCC boss said he subsequently invited Eze for questioning after preliminary findings were compiled by investigators.
He added that upon meeting the cleric and reviewing the findings of the investigation, the commission found no wrongdoing.
“So he came to my office. He told me what happens and all of that, and how the money came, what he does, how he has been helping people, and all of that.
“I said, you know what, I didn’t call you here to explain to me. We have already done our work. I called you here to commend you,” he stated.
The remark drew applause from the audience, as Eze, who was present at the event, acknowledged the commendation.
He noted that the commission has a responsibility not only to investigate financial crimes but also to recognise individuals found to have acted with integrity.
The EFCC chairman, however, stated that the agency would continue to monitor financial activities where necessary, stressing that its preventive mandate remains critical in tackling corruption.
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