The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has called on the Federal Government to prioritise the development of the mining sector in northern Nigeria, describing it as a key catalyst for industrial growth, employment generation, and poverty alleviation.
Speaking at the maiden Northern Nigeria Investment and Industrialisation Summit 2025 held in Abuja, NEF Chairman, Professor Ango Abdullahi, emphasised that despite the region’s vast mineral endowments, mining remains one of its most underutilised sectors.
The summit, themed “Unlocking Northern Nigeria’s Mining, Agricultural and Power Potentials (MAP2035),” was presented not merely as a forum for dialogue, but as a 10-year strategic blueprint aimed at transforming the region’s economy.
“Imagine the multiplier effect—industrial growth, job creation, poverty reduction, and renewed prosperity for our people—if mining is properly harnessed, linked to value chains, and supported by strong infrastructure,” Abdullahi said.
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The NEF chairman also pointed to the historical economic backbone of the North, anchored by agriculture and rail networks, and argued that the region’s rich mineral resources offer comparable, if not greater, opportunities for sustainable development—provided government policy is deliberate and targeted.
He lamented the continued challenges posed by inadequate infrastructure such as roads, railways, electricity, and storage facilities, which he said are preventing the full exploitation of the region’s abundant resources, including solid minerals and fertile agricultural land.
The forum rooted its call in historical context, recalling how, in the 1960s and 1970s, commodities like cotton, groundnuts, and tobacco, alongside investments from the oil boom, turned cities like Kano and Kaduna into industrial hubs. However, the momentum began to wane in the 1980s due to poor infrastructure, corruption, and policy inconsistency.
Abdullahi concluded by stating that the NEF strongly believes government efforts toward economic revival will only yield meaningful results if mining and its allied industries are given clear and urgent priority.
