Tag: NEF

2027: Northern Elders Forum plan regional summit, discuss unified voting pattern

Aminu Imam
NEF plan summit

With political realignments already taking shape ahead of the 2027 general elections, the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) and the National Political Consultative Group yesterday began moves to convene a high-level summit of northern leaders to discuss a unified voting pattern and restore regional cohesion. The plan, according to organisers, will involve traditional rulers, religious leaders, and political stakeholders across the 19 northern states to re-awaken the spirit of inclusiveness once championed by the Late Premier of Northern Nigeria, Sir Ahmadu Bello. Speaking at an expanded meeting in Abuja yesterday, the…

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NEF unveils Investment Summit for North’s economic revival

Aminu Imam
NEF unveils Investment Summit3

The Northern Elders Forum, (NEF), has declared that the North “cannot remain a sleeping giant”, as it unveiled plans for its investment and industrialisation summit designed to revive the region’s economy, harness its vast resources, and tackle insecurity and unemployment. Speaking yesterday on a television programme, NEF’s spokesperson, Professor Abubakar Jiddere, said the North could no longer ignore its economic challenges or depend on others for development. “The North contributed to Nigeria immensely right from the colonial era, even politically”, Jiddere said, “But unfortunately, challenges started arising, especially as a…

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“Declare state-of-emergency on insecurity”, Northern Elders urge Tinubu

Aminu Imam
NEF urges Tinubu

…Say Nigeria’s stability, regional security under threat The Northern Elders Forum, (NEF), has called on President Bola Tinubu to declare a ‘state of emergency’ in northern Nigeria, citing the extraordinary scale of insecurity and the government’s constitutional and international obligations to protect lives. The Forum lamented that state security agencies remain overstretched, under-resourced, and in some cases complicit through inaction, leaving citizens vulnerable while eroding public trust in government. In a communiqué issued yesterday by its spokesperson, Professor Abubakar Jika Jiddere, the NEF expressed grave concern over the spate of…

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NEF condemns CBN appointments, warns against marginalization of North in National Governance

Aminu Imam
NEF condemns

During a policy meeting in Kaduna, the Northern Elders Forum, (NEF), has pointed to the latest appointments at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) as a troubling example of growing imbalance. Out of 15 new Directors recently appointed by the CBN, only four are from Northern Nigeria. ‎The NEF described this as clear evidence of regional exclusion in key national institutions. It said such patterns are not random but reflect deliberate choices that may deepen national divisions. ‎The NEF also raised alarm about the recent relocation of several CBN departments…

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Northern Elders raise alarm over marginalisation, insecurity, and underdevelopment

Aminu Imam
Northern Elders

Prominent Northern advocacy groups – the Northern Elders’ Forum (NEF) and the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) – have jointly raised strong concerns over what they describe as deepening marginalisation of Northern Nigeria under President Bola Tinubu’s administration. Both groups, in separate but similarly themed events in Kaduna, accused the federal government of neglecting the region across critical sectors including education, infrastructure, agriculture, and security. At the Government-Citizens Engagement Forum, organised by the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation, (NEF) Chairman, Prof. Ango Abdullahi, painted a bleak picture of the North’s socio-economic…

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Insecurity: NEF urges Tinubu to declare ‘state of emergency’ in North

Aminu Imam
NEF urge Tinubu

The Northern Elders Forum, (NEF), has called on President Bola Tinubu to declare a ‘state of emergency’ in northern Nigeria following worsening insecurity. In a statement issued by its spokesperson Prof. Abubakar Jiddere, the NEF condemned the killing of over 20 soldiers in Bangi, Niger State, describing it as proof that terrorists have declared war on the nation and that security in the North has collapsed. “The North is drowning in blood while the government fails in its duty to protect lives,” Jiddere said, warning that continued inaction could provoke…

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NEF decry infrastructure neglect, demand fair treatment from FG

Aminu Imam
Northern Elders decry2

The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has strongly criticised the Tinubu administration for excluding Northern Nigeria from key infrastructure projects, describing it as unacceptable and a threat to national unity. In an issued statement signed by NEF spokesperson, Prof. Abubakar Jika Jiddere, the group accused the federal government of disproportionately allocating infrastructure funds to Southern Nigeria, while major roads and rail lines in the North remain neglected—especially in the North East, the region most affected by insecurity and underdevelopment. NEF pointed out that while projects like the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway (₦1.3…

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Northern Elders raise alarm over Niger flood disaster

Aminu Imam
Northern Elders raise alarm

The Northern Elders Forum (NEF), has expressed deep sorrow over the devastating flood disaster that has struck Niger State, claiming the lives of over 160 people and destroying billions of naira worth of infrastructure, homes, and livelihoods. The Forum called on the Federal Government to take swift and comprehensive measures to support flood victims, including the deployment of relief materials, provision of medical and psychosocial support, and restoration of essential services. In a condolence message issued by its spokesperson, Professor Abubakar Jika Jiddere, the Forum conveyed heartfelt sympathies to the…

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Northern Elders Forum condemns arrest of Professor Usman Yusuf by EFCC, demands for his immediate release

Aminu Imam
Northern Elders' Forum endorse3

The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has strongly condemned the arrest of Professor Usman Yusuf, a renowned academic and hematology-oncology expert by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), describing it as politically-motivated. According to a press statement released by the NEF, Professor Yusuf was taken into custody at his Abuja residence on Wednesday, January 29, 2025, around 4:30 p.m. On Thursday, January 30, 2025, the Professor was arraigned before the Federal High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), presided over by Justice Chinyere E. Nwecheonwu. However, the…

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Northern politicians ask Tinubu to reconsider tax reform Bills

Aminu Imam
Northern politicians

Some northern politicians have advised President Bola Tinubu to respect the position of the National Economic Council on the controversial tax reform Bills. Recall that President Tinubu declared last Monday that the tax reforms had come to stay, ruling out the possibility of withdrawing them from the 10th National Assembly as the governors had demanded. However, Northern members of the 10th NASS, the League of Northern Democrats, (LND), and the Northern Elders’ Forum, (NEF), have expressed dismay with President’s insistence that there will be no reversal on the controversial tax…

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