The Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation (SABMF) has made a call on Northern leaders for urgent action to rebuild the economy of the North, particularly in the areas of education, youth development , women, and good governance.

The Foundation then released a comprehensive recommendations aimed at accelerating the social and economic renewal of Northern Nigeria, following an insightful virtual mentorship session with Hajiya Maryam Uwais, former Special Adviser to the President on Social Investment.

The presentation, titled, “The North: Our Women, Our Youth, Our Children , Rebuilding Our Value System,” was delivered during the SABMF’s Monthly Virtual Mentorship Programme.

Hajiya Uwais explained that while insecurity, poverty, and unemployment remain urgent, the region’s deeper crisis is the erosion of values, weak institutions, and underinvestment in human capital.

Besides, in its response, SABMF called on the federal and state governments, policymakers, development partners, traditional institutions, civil society, and the media to adopt eight key recommendations, including “prioritise in education and human  capital Development”.

The Northern group posited that “Governments must urgently reduce the number of out-of-school children through expanded access to quality basic and secondary education. This includes rehabilitating schools, recruiting and training teachers, providing learning materials, deploying digital infrastructure, and ensuring school safety. Special emphasis should be placed on girl-child education as a driver of stronger families and long-term socio-economic progress.”

Also, Uwais advised Federal and Northern governments to “launch large-Scale Youth Empowerment Initiatives
Targeted programmes in skills acquisition, entrepreneurship, digital literacy, agribusiness, renewable energy, vocational training, startup financing, mentorship, and internships which are critical to reducing unemployment and vulnerability among the North’s youth,  described as the region’s greatest asset.”

“The governments should strengthen support for women, expand policies that improve women’s access to education, healthcare, enterprise support, financial inclusion, and leadership. Women remain central to family stability, food production, commerce, and peacebuilding”, She said.

Stressing that governments must “restore values and promote social reorientation”, Hajiya Uwais further added, “a coordinated regional campaign involving schools, families, faith-based organisations, traditional institutions, youth groups, and the media should promote integrity, accountability, respect for life, hard work, justice, responsibility, tolerance, peaceful coexistence, and service to community”.

Among other eight points of action she listed, promote good Governance and accountability, noting that “public institutions must entrench transparency, prudent resource management, merit-based appointments, and citizen-focused service delivery”, while she stressed that “leaders at all levels should demonstrate competence, fairness, humility, and measurable performance”.

On deepening security collaboration and peacebuilding, she explained,
“security agencies, community leaders, traditional and religious leaders, and youth organisations should strengthen cooperation against insecurity, communal conflict, drug abuse, and violent extremism, using dialogue, intelligence sharing, civic engagement, and early warning systems alongside conventional measures.”

She further spoke on expanding agriculture and economic opportunities, pointing out the need for “increase investment in irrigation, mechanisation, agro-processing, livestock development, rural roads, storage systems, and market access to unlock the North’s agricultural potential for employment, food security, and inclusive growth.”

She also spoke on encouraging responsible media engagement, stressing that “the media should continue to highlight stories of innovation, youth success, women leadership, peacebuilding, and development opportunities; balanced reporting can strengthen hope, unity, and investor confidence.”

“No single institution can deliver transformation alone. The progress of Northern Nigeria requires unity of purpose, consistency of policy, and long-term commitment from governments, traditional rulers, religious leaders, civil society, the private sector, development partners, and citizens,” the Foundation added.