By Emmanuel Kwada
In a significant move to bolster social services and economic growth, governors from Nigeria’s Northwest region convened with top officials from the United Nations and the African Development Bank (AfDB) in Abuja.
The meeting, chaired by Katsina State Governor Dikko Umaru Radda, focused on crucial areas such as social protection, education, food security, and climate adaptation. Attendees included Governors Uba Sani of Kaduna, Dauda Lawal of Zamfara, Ahmed Aliyu of Sokoto, and Umar Namadi of Jigawa.
UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed and UN Resident Coordinator Malick Fall provided updates on ongoing programs and opportunities for regional collaboration, highlighting the importance of a unified approach to addressing the region’s challenges.
The meeting, chaired by Katsina State Governor Dikko Umaru Radda, focused on crucial areas such as social protection, education, food security, and climate adaptation
Discussions with the AfDB centered around the Nigeria Agricultural Growth Scheme (NAG 2.0), aimed at boosting agricultural development and value chains in the region. The governors also explored expanding the Special Agro-Processing Zones (SAPZ) initiative to all five Northwest states, as well as renewable energy solutions through the Infrastructure Resilience Support (IRS) program, focusing on solar and Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) initiatives.
Additionally, the governors discussed accessing funds from the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) to improve education in the region. Governor Radda emphasized the governors’ unified approach to tackling poverty alleviation, youth employment, and the out-of-school children crisis, with each state appointing a focal person to coordinate development efforts.