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Borno State Governor, Babagana Umara Zulum, has emphasized that strategic investment in the youth population and peace building efforts are vital to ending the persistent insecurity in Northern Nigeria.
Speaking during the 7th Executive Committee Meeting of the Northern Traditional Rulers Council held in Maiduguri, Zulum, who also represented Vice President Kashim Shettima, called for a renewed focus on youth empowerment as a pathway to peace and development.
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“Our youth are energetic and ready to contribute, but many lack opportunities. This creates a dangerous vacuum,” Zulum said, urging massive investment in skills training, entrepreneurship, and digital innovation to curb radicalization and criminality.
He also highlighted agriculture as the economic backbone of the North and called for urgent action to secure farmlands and modernize agricultural practices, especially in areas impacted by insecurity.
Zulum reaffirmed Borno State’s commitment to rebuilding and promoting justice, peace, and inclusive progress.
In his remarks, the Sultan of Sokoto and Chairman of the Council, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, reiterated the importance of unity and collective dialogue in resolving the region’s challenges.
The meeting was attended by key figures including representatives of the National Security Adviser, the Chief of Defence Staff, and the Inspector General of Police, as well as deputy governors and traditional rulers from the 19 Northern States.
In other news, the Benue State Government is reportedly making moves to block a planned visit by Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, Mr Peter Obi, to camps housing Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the state.
Obi, whose post-election activities have prominently included humanitarian outreach to victims of violence across the country, was said to have planned a visit to some of the IDP camps in Benue.
The former Anambra State governor, in recent weeks, visited IDP camps in Plateau, Southern Kaduna and Nasarawa states, meeting with displaced families, donating relief materials and advocating for urgent government intervention.
