Atiku, Dangote to Northern Leaders: Unite or region declines further
Atiku, Dangote Warn Northern Leaders: “Reset Now or Risk Total Collapse”
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, have issued stern warnings to northern leaders, cautioning that the region is heading toward deeper insecurity, economic stagnation, and social deterioration unless urgent corrective actions are taken.
The duo spoke on Friday at the 25th anniversary dinner of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) in Kaduna, monitored by www.cjsoftflix.com
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Atiku, addressing the gathering, said the North can no longer afford complacency at a time when insecurity, poverty, and educational decline are crippling its future.
He warned that without a clear vision backed by genuine collective resolve, the region would “stagnate and sink deeper into insecurity.”
He commended past ACF leaders for sustaining the forum through “thick and thin,” but emphasized that nostalgia must now give way to honest assessment and strategic action focused on development and unity.
Atiku recalled that upon assuming office in 1999 as Vice President, he helped unify the region’s divided political blocs through a reconciliation committee chaired by the Emir of Ilorin, Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari — a process that produced the modern ACF.
He explained that the ACF was established not only to strengthen political harmony but also to drive development inspired by the vision of Sir Ahmadu Bello, the late Premier of Northern Nigeria.
Citing the Sardauna’s famous 1961 priorities — education, agriculture, and industrial growth — Atiku said these goals remain even more critical today, given the region’s current challenges.
The former Vice President highlighted earlier initiatives such as the Northern Education Project, which exposed the region’s deteriorating school system and pushed reforms that improved enrolment and transition rates.
He also referenced the Northern Development Project (NDP), which attempted to rebuild agricultural value chains and respond to climate-driven productivity declines.
Despite these efforts, Atiku lamented that persistent obstacles — including energy poverty, multiple taxation, and policy inconsistency — continue to hinder northern industries two decades later.
Warning that diversity is being weaponized by adversaries exploiting fear and misinformation, he urged the North to learn from countries like India and China, which achieved economic transformation despite vast cultural plurality.
He challenged northern leaders to confront urgent questions on population growth, food security, quality education, job creation, 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,” Atiku declared.
Dangote: “Without Electricity, There Can Be No Growth”
Also speaking at the event, industrialist Aliko Dangote linked the region’s slow economic development and growing insecurity to decades of policy inconsistency and chronic power shortages.
He noted that many once-thriving industries in the North collapsed because government policies “kept shifting the goalpost,” undermining investor confidence.
Dangote revealed that he once commissioned Arthur Andersen (now part of KPMG) to investigate why major northern manufacturers — including textile giants — crumbled despite promising starts.
The findings overwhelmingly pointed to inconsistent government policies and unreliable electricity supply.
He disclosed that Dangote Group relies on public electricity only in South Africa and Ethiopia, due to Nigeria’s notoriously unstable national grid.
“Without electricity, you cannot have growth, no matter how hard you try,” he warned.
Dangote added that the region’s current insecurity — from banditry to youth unemployment — is a direct result of decades of neglect, poor planning, and lack of coordinated investment.
He urged northern leaders to commit to a coherent, long-term economic roadmap centered on education, agriculture, and industry — aligning with development priorities highlighted by Atiku.
According to Dangote, the North has the landmass and population to become West Africa’s food production hub, yet remains far from achieving that potential due to weak planning and inconsistent investment.
He cautioned that if urgent steps are not taken, the crises confronting the region “will consume everyone, whether guilty or not.”
North at a Crossroads
Although the ACF’s silver jubilee was meant to be celebratory, both Atiku and Dangote insisted that the anniversary should serve as a wake-up call to northern leaders.
Their message was unmistakable: the North is standing at a defining moment — and failure to act decisively could prove disastrous.
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