UPDATED: Nothing troubles me more than insecurity in Nigeria —Tinubu

•Afenifere urges Northern, Southern leaders to collaborate to save nation

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has stated that the insecurity ravaging the country troubles him more than anything else in Nigeria, noting that “unless trust is rebuilt, security challenges will persist, economic stagnation will deepen and educational deficits will widen.”

Represented by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, the president spoke at the 25th Anniversary (Silver Jubilee) of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) and the launch of the forum’s Endowment Fund on Saturday in Kaduna.

In his address entitled “A Generation Summoned by a Crisis,” President Tinubu said that though his administration inherited the security challenges, he is working round the clock to address them with the urgency required.

He said: “Nothing troubles me more gravely than the security crisis bedevilling Nigeria, especially Northern Nigeria. Affliction in any part of the country is a setback for every part. We cannot prosper when one limb of the national body is paralysed.

“The layers and sophistication of the security challenges we inherited are daunting, but what should inspire confidence is the urgency with which my administration is pursuing solutions.”

The president stated that “there has never been a time when the North more urgently needed honest and courageous voices. Yes, there have been missteps. Yes, there have been moments of drift. But we cannot say the North has failed unless we abandon our responsibility to be our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers.

“We fail the day we sleep comfortably while millions sleep with empty bellies; the day fear becomes a permanent companion for travellers moving from one village to another.

“But let no one believe that hope is lost. The dysfunction inherited over decades fractured bonds and strained unity. Yet the ethnic and religious diversity gathered here today is a declaration of the collective resolve to overcome polarisation and resist any agenda designed to divide.”

Speaking on the insecurity in parts of the North, the president said, “We are not only determined to ensure that terrorist and bandit groups tormenting the North are eliminated, but we are also equally committed to reversing the region’s economic decline.”

Noting that he has “unwavering optimism in the North’s promise,” President Tinubu stated that “I eagerly anticipate the day when the first tankers of crude oil from Kolmani and other Northern oil fields roll out.”

The president added that this is why his administration is accelerating critical road, rail, and river transport projects across the region, most notably the transformative Abuja–Kaduna–Kano Superhighway, which is billed for inauguration in Kano “in the coming months.”

President Tinubu emphasised that every generation is visited by a calling peculiar to it, saying that “For some, it was to reclaim this nation from the restraints of colonial domination. For others, it was to design the architecture of a democracy that could hold our diversity together. For yet others, it was to define the moral and social character of a people emerging into modernity.”

He, however, posited that this generation has arrived at a time when Northern Nigeria faces “one of the gravest tests of its endurance, the corrosion of security, the erosion of communal values, and the distortion of the moral compass that once held communities as one family.”

He added: “We came at a time of a jarring rupture in the social ethics of a region whose stability is indispensable to our nation’s collective peace and prosperity. This is why we are here today, and I am honoured to stand with you for this sacred gathering of conscience and reflection.”

The president also noted that for 25 years, the ACF has stood as an enduring conscience of Northern Nigeria.

“It has assembled patriots, brilliant minds, moral fortresses, and selfless negotiators whose dedication has ensured that the North remains a central pillar in every serious national conversation,” he said.

President Tinubu also stated that the ACF has not only advocated solutions to regional challenges, “it has fought for dignity, fairness, and equality for millions who call this vast region home.”

He said the Silver Jubilee is therefore a celebration of “courage, advocacy, and principled service by some of the finest voices the North has produced.”

Afenifere seeks collaboration to save nation

Also speaking at the event, leader of Afenifere, Chief Reuben Fasoranti, has warned that Nigeria is confronting its most severe security crisis since independence, urging Northern and Southern leaders to collaborate urgently to save the nation.

Fasoranti, who delivered a goodwill message through Afenifere’s National Organising Secretary, Chief Kole Omololu, said the country is “confronted by unimaginable violence, declining public trust, and the fraying of social bonds.”

He described the Silver Jubilee as a critical moment for reflection, adding: “We have never had to deal with this level of insecurity… This is a sad moment for our country.”

Fasoranti commended ACF for 25 years of service and advocacy, noting that the forum has been a stabilising voice for Northern Nigeria and a platform for dialogue, unity and national cohesion. “The founders of ACF set out to create a platform through which the voice of Northern Nigeria could be articulated with clarity, responsibility and dignity,” he said.

While raising alarms over insecurity, Fasoranti also expressed confidence in the leadership of President Tinubu, whom he described as advancing a “Renewed Hope Agenda” for the country.

“Our challenges, though immense and complex, are not insurmountable. What is required is sincerity of purpose, courageous leadership and a renewed commitment to fairness and justice,” he said.

He urged the North and South to strengthen partnerships based on mutual respect, equity and shared responsibility, emphasising that national progress depends on unity across regions.

“Ours must be a partnership grounded not in suspicion or rivalry, but in mutual respect and shared responsibility,” Fasoranti said.

Fasoranti also called for revisiting Nigeria’s founding debates from 1953 to 1966, arguing that historical reflection is essential to tackling current insecurity and ensuring the country’s future. “It is time to reflect on what our fathers and leaders proposed and discussed… This has become urgent and imperative for the security of our people and the future of this country,” he said.

The event was also attended by prominent Northern and national leaders, including former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar; industrialist Aliko Dangote; former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai; former Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi and representatives of Southern socio-cultural groups.