Participants at the two- day interactive session on Government- Citizens Engagement which held in Kaduna, have commended President Bola Tinubu’s administration for its “high performance in delivering electoral promises in many areas especially security and infrastructural development.
This was contained in a communique issued on Wednesday at the end of the event organised by the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation (SABMF) at Arewa House, Kaduna
The communique signed by Abubakar Umar, Director General of SABMF, on behalf of the participants, also “praised the increased equitable resource availability to subnational authorities.”
The communique, however, called for
substantial investment in education to address the out-of-school children crisis, especially in the North.
The communique noted the critical role of the North in Nigeria’s political stability and economic development, stressing that the region contributes significantly to national stability, development, and electoral outcomes.
Deliberations covered key areas, including national security, governance, agriculture, food security, infrastructure, and human capital development.
The communique noted that the progress made by Tinubu are visible, saying, “Major infrastructure projects are advancing, including highways, gas pipelines (AKK), oil exploration (Kolmani), and rural irrigation schemes”.
Participants also called for urgent investment in education to reduce the number of out-of-school children in the north.
“The problem of Almajiri and out-of-school children remains a key concern of Northern Nigeria,” the communique noted and called strengthening the education sector to promote social inclusion and reduce insecurity.
The communique emphasized the importance of equitable resource distribution in addressing regional imbalances.
It commended Tinubu for increased financial allocation to subnational governments, saying it was a step in the right direction.
It advocated for the institutionalization of government-citizen dialogue at national and state levels.
The communique stated further that the government has demonstrated openness to dialogue and continuous citizen engagement, calling for inclusive and community-based strategies in addressing national challenges.
The participants also advocated for greater collaboration between the Northern states and the federal government.
They called for engagement with civil societies, traditional, and religious leaders to promote responsible governance.
“We must promote responsible media practices to enhance public trust and national cohesion.
“Northern Nigeria acknowledges and commends the administration’s high performance.
“We call for more commitment to transparency, fairness, and equity as elements that would foster national unity and democracy,” the communique said.
