DIPLOMAN TIMES

Katsina State Governor Dikko Umaru Radda, chairman of the Northwest Governors’ Forum, has presented the Northwest Peace, Security and Development Framework 2026-2030 at a high-level side event during the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, outlining a regional approach to insecurity, economic development and investment.

Governor Radda said the framework represents the collective position of the seven Northwest governors and is intended to address challenges that cross state boundaries. The event was attended by Zamfara Governor Dauda Lawal, Kebbi Governor Nasir Idris, Sokoto Deputy Governor Idris Mohammed Gobir, representatives of the Nigerian government, the United Nations, development and financial institutions, civil society organisations and other partners.

Radda said insecurity remains one of the region’s most pressing challenges but argued that security operations must be accompanied by measures addressing unemployment, poverty, displacement and limited economic opportunities. He outlined objectives around stronger regional cooperation, agricultural productivity, skills development, women’s participation, community recovery and private investment.

The Director-General of the Northwest Governors’ Forum, Maryam Musa Yahaya, said the framework emerged from regional consultations that began after the June 2024 Northwest Peace and Security Summit. According to her, governments, communities, civil society groups, traditional institutions, women and young people were consulted during 2025, while all seven governors adopted the framework by March 2026.

United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed commended the governors for presenting a common plan and said stability in the Northwest has implications beyond the seven states. She highlighted the region’s agricultural, livestock, mineral and trade potential and called for investment in infrastructure, skills, institutions, climate-resilient agriculture and jobs. She also cited more than 700,000 displaced people in the region and urged practical community-level interventions.

The UN said it would support the regional initiative, while UNDP is developing a proposal for a Northwest-led Stabilisation-to-Transformation Programme and Financing Platform. Governor Radda said the governors would take responsibility for implementing the framework and invited development institutions, investors and other partners to work with the seven states. The source identifies the initiative as moving from regional planning toward implementation, but does not document completed projects under the framework.