Governors of Nigeria’s Northwest region have engaged with senior United Nations officials and representatives of the African Development Bank (AfDB) in Abuja to advance strategic development initiatives aimed at improving social services and driving economic growth.
Speaking after the meeting, Chairman of the Northwest Governors’ Forum and Governor of Katsina State, Dikko Umaru Radda, highlighted key areas of discussion, including social protection, education, food security, and climate adaptation.
The meeting was attended by Governors Uba Sani (Kaduna), Dauda Lawal (Zamfara), Ahmed Aliyu (Sokoto), and Umar Namadi (Jigawa), alongside UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed and UN Resident Coordinator Malick Fall, who provided updates on ongoing programmes and strategies for strengthening regional collaboration.
Governor Radda disclosed that discussions with the AfDB centered on the implementation of the Nigeria Agricultural Growth Scheme (NAG 2.0), which aims to boost agricultural development and enhance value chains across the Northwest states.
“We are on the eve of implementing this programme, which will drive agricultural development and enhance value chains in the region,” he stated.
Additionally, the governors explored the second phase of the Special Agro-Processing Zones (SAPZ) initiative, now set to extend to all five Northwest states, having initially included only Kaduna and Kano. The meeting also addressed renewable energy solutions under the Infrastructure Resilience Support (IRS) programme, with a focus on solar and Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) projects.
In a bid to improve access to quality education, the forum expressed interest in leveraging resources from the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).
To enhance coordination and execution of development projects, each state governor has designated a focal representative to oversee programmes in collaboration with development partners.
“We have unanimously agreed to work together on economic development, agriculture, tackling out-of-school children, poverty alleviation, and youth employment,” Governor Radda affirmed.
The Northwest Governors’ Forum reaffirmed its commitment to regional cooperation and sustained engagement with international partners to drive impactful development across the region.
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