The Northern Elders Forum and the Northern Governors Forum have agreed to establish a new body known as the Northern Nigeria Development Council to coordinate and drive the region’s economic transformation agenda.
The decision followed the signing of the Northern Nigeria Economic Development Charter at the end of the Northern Nigeria Investment and Industrialisation Summit, which ended in Abuja on Monday.
In a communiqué issued after the summit, NEF Convener, Prof. Ango Abdullahi, said the proposed council will operate under the joint supervision of the two forums and serve as the institutional framework for implementing the region’s long-term development masterplan.
“The charter signed by the Northern Governors commits them to establish the NNDC as the dedicated coordinating agency for the region’s economic agenda,” the communiqué stated.
According to the document, the NNDC will “serve as the institutional and programme management body to midwife the Regional Integration Agenda of Northern Nigeria,” with a full mandate from participating state governments.
It will consolidate strategies in mining, agriculture, power, industrialisation, technology, and related sectors.
The summit, themed “Unlocking Strategic Opportunities in Mining, Agriculture, and Power,” brought together governors, investors, and development partners to explore ways to accelerate growth in the region.
The forum disclosed that over $10bn in investments were pledged across key sectors for implementation over the next five years.
It also emphasised the need for regional economic integration, improved infrastructure, and clear investment policies to attract private capital.
Participants further recommended reforms to ease doing business, standardise public-private partnership frameworks, and institutionalise land administration reforms.
They also proposed the creation of a Security-Investment Coordination Task Force to safeguard critical projects.
The communiqué traced the vision for the new council to the North’s historical industrial base, recalling the 1960s and 1970s when agriculture and agro-processing anchored the region’s economy. It noted that the new initiative aims to revive that legacy through a modernised, coordinated framework for sustainable growth.
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