By Khalid Idris Doya Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, has emphasized the need for Northern Nigeria to establish a platform ...
By Khalid Idris Doya
Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, has emphasized the need for Northern Nigeria to establish a platform for a peer review mechanism, regional integration, and a well-defined roadmap to address its numerous challenges.
Speaking at the 11th Annual Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Lecture and Merit Awards, held at the Government House in Bauchi on Monday with the theme "Nature's Bounty: Turning Northern Nigeria's Untapped Resources into sustainable prosperity".
Governor Mohammed expressed concerns over rising poverty, illiteracy, disease, malnutrition, crime, banditry, and insurgency in the region.
He lamented the lack of a unified plan for the North, saying that “The Northern region needs a clear plan; we are in disarray.”
However, under the leadership of the Northern Governors Forum (NGF), chaired by Gombe State Governor, Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya, efforts are being made to change this narrative.
According to Governor Mohammed, other states in Nigeria are beginning to adopt initiatives first developed by the North-East Governors’ Forum.
“We started this in the North-East Governors’ Forum, and now, all states in the federation are borrowing from us. Governor Inuwa Yahaya initiated this in 2019, and we are working to ensure it expands across Nigeria.”
He stressed the importance of strategic planning and resource management, “We must assess where we are, where we want to be, and utilize our scarce resources efficiently to implement effective policies.”
Governor Mohammed also called for increased accountability, transparency, and trust between the government and the people. He praised the leadership of Sir Ahmadu Bello and Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, describing them as exemplary figures who set high standards of governance:
“These great leaders left us a legacy of unity, good governance, and strong values. It is a profound heritage that we must preserve and pass on to the next generation.”
He expressed disappointment over the declining quality of governance across Nigeria, which he attributed to the worsening socio-economic conditions in the region. He called for collective efforts to overcome these challenges.
“These issues are not insurmountable, but they require a united front from all Northerners and Nigerians, regardless of tribe, religion, or geography.”
Reflecting on the sacrifices of past leaders, he urged Nigerians to work towards producing more visionary leaders like Sir Ahmadu Bello and Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa.
“Why can’t we recreate the past? We need leaders who will dedicate themselves selflessly to the people, just as our forefathers did."
The governor highlighted Bauchi State’s Medium-Term Development Plan (2021–2025), which was formulated even before he assumed office in 2019. He emphasised that governance should be guided by knowledge and strategic planning.
“In Bauchi, we lead with a plan. Before we won the election, we had already developed our governance blueprint. If we had lost, we would have handed it over to whoever won, to ensure continuity.”
"Good governance can only be done by a plan. In Bauchi, we have always led by plan. My Bauchi project is what we have developed even before we won the election in 2019. Our idea was that when we lost, we would hand over to whoever won, so that it would be governance led by knowledge, understanding of where we are.
"But sadly, God in his mercy made us to win, and we developed the Bauchi State Medium-Term Development Plan 2021 and 2025, and that is what we are assiduously implementing. Today, we have reached a level where the resources are scarce, but sadly we have achieved a lot, because every day we do Hisabi (judgement) for ourselves. What have we done right, or what have we done wrong?."
"We have embarked on remodeled projects that are transforming our state. From the construction of roads, flyovers, bridges, to educational reforms, aimed at improving the quality of our teachers, and enhancing the rate of our enrollment, retention, and transition, as well as towards enhancing our healthcare delivery system."
Governor Mohammed also commended the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation for its contributions, including free medical outreach programs and scholarships for underprivileged students in Bauchi State.
Speaking at the event, Muazu Babangida Aliyu, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation, emphasised that the organization is a non-political and non-governmental entity dedicated to preserving the legacy of the late Premier of the Northern Region.
According to him, the foundation focuses on education, health, agriculture, women, youth and child development, leadership and good governance, economic empowerment, wealth creation, conflict management and peace building.
Dr. Aliyu reiterated that the foundation aims to preserve and promote the values of Sir Ahmadu Bello to inspire future leaders in Northern Nigeria.
In his speech, the Guest Speaker, a former Minister of Finance, Dr. Mansur Mukhtar, who delivered a paper on the theme for this year’s lecture: ‘‘Nature’s Bounty: Turning Northern Nigeria’s Untapped Resources into Sustainable Prosperity’’, said Northern region is blessed with vast resources which if wisely harnessed, could solve a great number of the challenges in the region.
He reminisced about the era when agriculture was the backbone of the region’s economy, providing sustenance and employment to over 70% of its population, while recommending the adoption of cutting-edge technologies and sustainable farming practices to enhance productivity, ensure food security and jobs creation.
Mukhtar further stated that prioritizing human capital development by placing strong emphasis on education, health, and women’s empowerment, the North could harness the full potential of its greatest asset which is its people to drive socioeconomic growth and development.
Earlier in his address, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the foundation, former Governor of Niger State, His Excellency, Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, promised that the foundation will continue to uphold the legacies of Sir. Ahmadu Bello especially his “one-North” philosophy.
Highlights of the event was the symbolic presentation of cheques by the beneficiaries of the Sir. Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation annual scholarship programme for students drawn from the six states of the Northeast as well as the unveiling of the portrait of late Sir. Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto and premier of Northern Nigeria.
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