Abubakar has urged northern leaders to unite, confront stagnation and guard against divisive forces targeting the region’s stability and resources.
According to THE CABLE, Abubakar said the forum was founded not only to strengthen regional unity but also to revive the north’s long-standing agenda of education, agriculture and industrial development. He stressed that the region must address its developmental stagnation with renewed urgency.
Abubakar identified poor management of diversity as a major obstacle to unity, noting that “the north is not the most diverse part of the world,” yet its early leaders recognised and embraced this diversity. He urged northerners to make diversity work for progress, saying, “we must muster both the courage and the political will to overcome the many obstacles to our unity.”
He warned that some threats to unity come from external adversaries who “fabricate stories… using technology to sow seeds of discord,” adding that their ultimate target is the region’s “God-given wealth,” similar to events seen in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Abubakar called for leadership capable of accommodating ethnic and religious groups fairly and ensuring equitable distribution of resources and opportunities. He referenced the legacy of Sir Ahmadu Bello, urging leaders to reflect on how they wish to be remembered.
He concluded that “if there is any time for the North to unite, it is now,” urging resistance to ethnic and religious division.