By Salisu Sani-Idris

President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday urged Northern leaders to seek robust solutions to the numerous challenges confronting the region.

Tinubu, represented by Vice-President Kashim Shettima, made the call at a stakeholders’ roundtable on Northern Nigerian Youth Development, organised by the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation in Abuja.

The theme of the roundtable was ‘Empowering the Next Generation: Strategies for Sustainable Youth Development in Northern Nigeria’.

He said that the legacies of Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Premier of Northern Nigeria, reinforced the conviction that the development of the North is central to the prosperity of Nigeria.

According to the President, Nigeria cannot prosper unless every part of the country thrives.

“Whatever disrupts the growth of one region sets back the entire nation.

“Unless we as leaders wear our thinking caps and come up with robust solutions to Northern Nigeria’s problems, it is not beyond us. It is not rocket science; we can do it.

“This is why we prioritise initiatives such as the Almajiri and Out-of-School Children Commission, which collaborates with all levels of government to ensure that every child has access to quality education.

“For the dividends of democracy to reach every corner of our nation, we must empower local governments to serve as pipelines of governance.

“This is why we have prioritised Local Government Autonomy, enabling them to receive their full entitlements and improve primary education funding.

“But governance is a shared responsibility, and citizens must hold their leaders accountable to ensure that every child is given a fighting chance,” Tinubu added.

Tinubu urged Northerners, especially the youth, to imbibe the spirit of tolerance, work, and worship as embraced by the late Sardauna of Sokoto.

He said that the energy, creativity, and ingenuity of Nigerian youth offer the chance to not only transform Nigeria, but also to lead Africa into a new era of growth and innovation.

“The challenge we must confront with urgency, compassion, and resolve is investing in the education of our younger ones. Either we take care of them, or they will take care of us down the line.

“We can afford to send our wards to private schools, but the children of the poor that we leave behind will certainly chase us out of this land,” Tinubu said.

Earlier, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, the Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), advised governments at all levels to increase funding for education.

“Let’s see how we can help our children, take them off the street, build schools, bring qualified teachers, and involve traditional leaders across the country to really sit with the people and discuss some of these issues,” he said.

The Sultan commended the Federal Government for establishing the Almajiri and Out-of-School Children Commission, describing it as a crucial initiative.

“The commission has been going around, talking to us. All of us must work together to ensure this commission achieves its goals,” he said.

Also, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation, Muazu Babangida, explained that the foundation was established to promote good governance in the country.

“Over the past 15 years, the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation has made significant strides in fulfilling its mandate of promoting sustainable development and social progress in Northern Nigeria, particularly in education,” he said.

Babangida added that the roundtable was organised to find a lasting solution to youth restiveness and the increasing number of out-of-school children in Northern Nigeria.

He urged the government to take the recommendations from the discussions seriously for the progress and well-being of the region.

The roundtable was attended by serving and former governors, executives of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), leaders of youth organisations, and other critical stakeholders in Nigeria. (NAN) www.nannews.ng

Edited by Tosin Kolade