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Governors of the 19 Northern states and members of the Northern Traditional Rulers’ Council have reaffirmed their support for the establishment of state police and pledged stronger regional collaboration to tackle the worsening security situation across Northern Nigeria.
The resolution was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of a joint meeting of the Northern Nigeria Governors’ Forum and the Northern Traditional Rulers’ Council held on Wednesday at the Council Chamber of Sir Kashim Ibrahim House in Kaduna.
The meeting, which focused exclusively on the region’s security challenges, said the current security crisis requires “urgent, coordinated and decisive action” to restore peace and stability across Northern Nigeria.
The forum expressed appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for what it described as his commitment to addressing security challenges nationwide and pledged continued support for federal security efforts through improved intelligence sharing, stronger community resilience and the development of a sustainable regional security framework.
On the proposed establishment of state police, the governors welcomed the progress made so far, commending the President and the National Assembly for initiating the constitutional process required to create state police.
According to the communiqué signed by the Chairman of the Northern Nigeria Governors’ Forum and Governor of Gombe State, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, the forum believes state police, if properly trained, equipped and supported, will play a significant role in addressing the country’s security challenges.
The meeting also expressed confidence in the newly inaugurated Board of Trustees of the Northern Nigeria Security Trust Fund, urging members to discharge their responsibilities with diligence, fairness, independence and accountability.
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The governors commended member states for fulfilling their commitment to contribute N1 billion monthly to the Security Trust Fund and urged all states to sustain prompt and consistent payments. They also called on traditional rulers, civil society organisations, the media and citizens to support the Board in carrying out its mandate.
Beyond security operations, the forum resolved to intensify efforts to address the underlying causes of insecurity, including poverty, unemployment, illiteracy and the growing number of out-of-school children.
It stressed that investments in education, agriculture, youth empowerment, skills acquisition and livelihoods are essential to complement ongoing security operations.
With the rainy season underway, the forum called on governments and security agencies to ensure the protection of farmers affected by insecurity and communal tensions.
It also pledged closer collaboration with traditional institutions, local governments and community leaders to prevent conflicts, while promoting livestock transformation and other initiatives aimed at improving peaceful coexistence, protecting livelihoods and modernising agriculture.
The forum further resolved to extend its collaborative approach beyond security to critical sectors such as education, agriculture and healthcare through a unified regional framework designed to pool resources, promote innovation and improve service delivery.
The meeting ended with an agreement to reconvene on a date to be announced later.
