
Elder statesman, Usman Bugaje, has sounded the alarm on the deteriorating condition of Northern Nigeria, warning that the region is facing serious challenges that require collective efforts to prevent total collapse.
Speaking at the Arewa Movement for Good Governance Conference in Kaduna, Bugaje lamented that the North is plagued by poverty, insecurity, and corruption. He cited alarming statistics, including nearly 60% of students in tertiary institutions unable to return to school due to unaffordable tuition and transportation fees.
For over 25 years of Nigeria’s democracy, poverty has more than doubled in the region, with over 33 million Nigerians facing starvation,” Bugaje said. He also highlighted the collapsing economy, where the minimum wage can no longer purchase a bag of rice.
Bugaje emphasized that insecurity has spread to unprecedented levels, frustrating trade, commerce, and agriculture, while public institutions decay and fail to deliver services. He noted that the social sector is severely impacted, with dwindling human capital and no jobs for unemployable youth.
The elder statesman criticized shameless politicians who bask in false glory, surrounded by praise singers and thugs. He warned that Nigerians are on a dangerous trajectory with no future in sight, citing 20 million out-of-school children, mostly in the North.
Bugaje called for a consensus among northern elites to tackle the region’s challenges, stressing that leadership is Nigeria’s primary problem. He urged northerners to come together to save the region for future generations.
The Chairman of the Organizing Committee, Mr. Tom Maiyashi, echoed Bugaje’s sentiments, saying the North is on the verge of collapse. He urged northern elites to address the region’s challenges, saying history will not forgive Nigerian elites for their failure to act.
