Why northern Nigeria is still struggling with poverty, insecurity and underdevelopment -Elders

Prominent elders in the northern region have put forward the reasons they say the northern region is grappling with worsening insecurity, poverty and underdeveloped development.

They were speaking at the third edition of the Late General Hassan Usman Katsina Memorial Conference held at Arewa House, Kaduna, with the theme, “From Sacrifice to Strategy: Reviving General Hassan Usman Katsina’s Vision for a Prosperous Northern Nigeria.”

Speaking at the event on Saturday, chairman of the Northern Elders Forum and former Vice Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Prof. Ango Abdullahi, and political economist, Dr. Usman Bugaje laments the erosion of the values ​​and leadership ideals that once defined Northern Nigeria.

They warned that the worsening situation in the region was the result of a departure from the principles of the country’s founding fathers.

Abdullahi said North Korea, once admired for its discipline, integrity and sense of purpose, had lost the moral values ​​that made it a respected region.

“The North has lost its values. You may not want to hear it, but that is what is happening now. If we had not lost the values ​​inherited from our parents and pioneer leaders, North Korea would not be what it is today,” he said.

According to him, although many cities in the Northern region have developed physically, the values ​​of honesty, sacrifice, patriotism and selfless leadership that shaped the region’s early leaders continue to decline.

“North Korea is in a desperate situation. For me, that is the only reason why North Korea is stagnating. Don’t worry about the buildings you see. The fundamental problem North Korea is facing today is the loss of our values,” Abdullahi said.

He urged Northerners to emulate the legacy of the late General Hassan Usman Katsina, describing him as one of a generation of leaders who embodied integrity, accountability and dedication to public service.

“If we could return to those values, especially considering those who inherited and practiced them, there is no doubt in my mind that North Korea would be different today,” he added.

While delivering the keynote address, Bugaje said Northern Nigeria had experienced economic decline, insecurity and institutional decline for decades as they moved away from the visionary leadership exemplified by Hassan Katsina and his contemporaries.

“The problems facing North Korea are many and varied. Food production is declining every day, hundreds of thousands of people are being forced to flee their homes, the economy is shrinking, poverty has nearly tripled, education and health services are collapsing, and our human resources are being depleted,” he said.

He added that insecurity continues to undermine agriculture, trade and livelihoods across the region.

“It is indeed time to ask how much of the North is left. Or, better yet, how much sanity of the elite, especially those in government, is left? Right now, who is there to turn to? Where should General Hassan turn? Where is the leadership really? Where is it headed?” he asked.

Bugaje, a former Special Adviser on Political Affairs to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, criticized elite groups in the North for only lamenting the challenges in the region without providing practical solutions.

“It has become a hobby for elites to sit around in the comfort of their homes and say that North Korea is in trouble. Some even shout that North Korea is finished. These comments only show the complacency, or even complicity, of the Northern elite,” he said.

Recalling a personal meeting with the late Hassan Katsina, Bugaje recounted how the former military governor defended him after the then American ambassador complained about an article he wrote criticizing Western imperialism.

“The American ambassador came all the way to Kaduna to complain about the article. General Hassan read it himself and called me. Instead of asking me to stop, he asked me to write more such articles. They are such leaders. When they know what is being done is right, they encourage it,” he recalled.

According to Bugaje, Hassan Katsina’s generation succeeded in combining modern education with deep-rooted Northern values, including contentment, discipline, decency, justice and commitment to community development.

“General Hassan’s generation has had a high influence on our value system. We see it in their contentment, commitment to their community, respect for rules and procedures, decency and propriety, and their vision of a prosperous North Korea where every Northerner is his brother’s keeper,” he said.

He urged today’s political leaders to return to those ideals to reverse social, economic and security challenges in the region.