Northwest Ready to Rise Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin Outlines Blueprint for Regional Rebirth
In a landmark address at the Yar’Adua Conference Centre in Kaduna, the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau I. Jibrin, declared that the Northwest geopolitical zone is “ready to rise.” Speaking at a high-level stakeholders’ development summit, Senator Barau emphasized that this resurgence is not an isolated effort but a coordinated partnership with the Federal Government of Nigeria under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
This summit, themed “Advancing a Coordinated Regional Development for North West Nigeria,” served as a strategic rallying point for lawmakers, governors, and development experts to chart a path toward sustainable peace and economic prosperity.
1. The Power of Coordination: Beyond Isolated Interventions
For decades, development efforts in the Northwest have been criticized for being fragmented and disjointed. Senator Barau noted that the real challenge facing the region—which includes states like Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara, Jigawa, Sokoto, and Kebbi—is not a lack of resources, but a lack of coordination.
“Development in the 21st century is no longer accidental or driven by isolated interventions. It is deliberate, coordinated, and institutional,” Barau stated. He argued that the newly established North West Development Commission (NWDC) is the strategic vehicle designed to fix this, ensuring that projects in one state complement the economic goals of the next.
2. Four Priority Pillars for the Northwest’s Recovery
To ensure the “Rise of the Northwest” is both measurable and impactful, Senator Barau outlined four critical pillars that must form the foundation of all regional interventions:
- Security and Stability: Recognizing that “no economy grows where farmers cannot farm,” the vision prioritizes ending the scourge of banditry and insurgency through coordinated intelligence and regional security architecture.
- Infrastructure and Connectivity: This involves building transport corridors, improving broadband access, and expanding irrigation and energy grids to link rural producers to urban markets.
- Agriculture and Industrial Value Addition: Moving beyond subsistence farming to processing grains, cotton, tomatoes, and livestock locally to create millions of jobs.
- Human Capital Development: With approximately 70% of the Northwest population being youth, the focus is on vocational training and education to build a workforce ready for a modern economy.
3. The NWDC: A Strategic Response to Neglect
Senator Barau, who championed the bill for the creation of the North West Development Commission (NWDC), described the agency as a “constitutional trustee” for the region. The commission is mandated to lead the reconstruction of infrastructure destroyed by years of conflict and to address the deep-seated developmental gaps that have hindered the zone’s potential.
He assured stakeholders that the 10th National Assembly would provide robust legislative oversight to ensure that the NWDC remains transparent, accountable, and focused on its core mission of total regional upliftment.
4. Leveraging the “Renewed Hope” Partnership
A recurring theme in the Deputy Senate President’s address was the unwavering support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Barau described the President as a “great lover of the Northwest,” noting that the federal government has been swift in responding to the region’s needs in agriculture and security.
He urged Northern leaders to move beyond rhetoric and take ownership of these opportunities, leveraging increased revenues and federal support to deliver concrete outcomes that change lives.
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