In a strategic move to revive Northern Nigeria’s economy, the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) and the Northern Governors Forum (NGF) have jointly launched a new body — the Northern Nigeria Development Council (NNDC) — to spearhead the region’s long-term economic transformation agenda.
The council was established following the signing of the Northern Nigeria Economic Development Charter at the conclusion of the Northern Nigeria Investment and Industrialization Summit, which took place in Abuja on Monday.
NEF Convener, Prof. Ango Abdullahi, who signed the communiqué, stated that the NNDC will operate under the joint supervision of the two forums, serving as the central institutional framework for implementing the region’s development masterplan.
According to the communiqué, “The charter signed by the Northern Governors commits them to establish the NNDC as the dedicated coordinating agency for the region’s economic agenda.”
The NNDC will focus on consolidating strategies across mining, agriculture, power, industrialization, and technology, serving as the programme management body to midwife the Regional Integration Agenda of Northern Nigeria.
The summit, themed “Unlocking Strategic Opportunities in Mining, Agriculture, and Power,” brought together governors, investors, and development partners to explore pathways for rapid economic growth in the North.
Notably, over $10 billion worth of investments were pledged across key sectors, set for implementation within the next five years.
The communiqué also called for enhanced regional economic integration, better infrastructure, and clear investment policies to attract private capital. Participants recommended business-friendly reforms, streamlined public-private partnership frameworks, and improved land administration systems.
Additionally, a Security-Investment Coordination Task Force was proposed to safeguard major projects.
The forum traced the vision for the NNDC to Northern Nigeria’s historical industrial base of the 1960s and 1970s, when agriculture and agro-processing thrived. The new initiative seeks to revive that legacy through a modern, coordinated, and sustainable framework for regional growth
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