By Emmanuel Kwada
As the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) marks its 25th anniversary with celebrations in Kaduna, prominent northern intellectual Dr. Umar Ardo has delivered a scathing yet sympathetic assessment, accusing the organization and northern elites of failing to curb the region’s escalating fragmentation, insecurity, and poverty.
In a detailed critique titled “The ACF at 25: A Sympathetic but Unblinking Assessment,” Ardo argues that the forum, established in 2000 to promote unity, peace, and development in Northern Nigeria, has instead presided over a period of profound decline.
Ardo, a historian and political analyst, emphasizes that the ACF’s noble founding vision; to foster solidarity among the North’s diverse ethnic and religious groups and champion prosperity has not materialized.
Instead, he points to a stark reality where the region is more divided than ever, with deepening rifts between Muslim and Christian communities that have even taken on international dimensions.
He laments that political, economic, and social fragmentation has intensified, undermining any cohesive vision for the North.
The critique is particularly pointed on issues of peace and security, which Ardo describes as a “grim scorecard.”
He notes that banditry, terrorism, farmer-herder clashes, kidnappings, and rural insurgencies have become endemic across the Northwest, Northeast, and North Central zones.
While ACF leaders gather for fanfare, including speeches, cultural displays, and polo tournaments, thousands of northern families endure daily violence, with men, women, and children killed, maimed, abducted, or displaced.
Ardo acknowledges that the ACF does not control security forces or policies, but he faults its influential membership for inertia, portraying the forum as an observer rather than a proactive defender of the region.
On prosperity and development, Ardo paints a picture of regression despite the North’s significant political influence over the past quarter-century, including producing two presidents, three vice presidents, three senate presidents, and six speakers of the House of Representatives.
He highlights damning statistics: the North now accounts for 80% of Nigeria’s out-of-school children, representing a generational crisis; millions live in internally displaced persons (IDP) camps, a rarity in 2000; vast ungoverned spaces fuel economic paralysis and food insecurity; over 80% of bandits and terrorist groups in Nigeria originate from the North; and poverty has plunged tens of millions into destitution.
Ardo credits the ACF with maintaining institutional continuity and providing a platform for elite discourse on national issues, but he warns that it has devolved into a networking club for the privileged, disconnected from grassroots needs.
Its communiqués and dialogues, he says, have failed to translate into tangible improvements for ordinary northerners.
He calls this evolution a core problem, as the forum was intended to be a people-centered shield rather than a conduit for patronage and influence.
In a call for introspection, Ardo urges the ACF to use its anniversary not for self-congratulation but for a rigorous self-audit and reinvention.
He advocates shifting from rhetoric and elite gatherings to strategic, measurable interventions and genuine grassroots engagement. Without such courage, Ardo warns, the forum’s next 25 years could squander another generation’s hopes, perpetuating the North’s tragic decline.
As celebrations continue, the critique serves as a sobering reminder of the urgent challenges facing one of Nigeria’s most populous and resource-rich regions.
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