Governors from the north-west have pledged to collaborate in tackling insecurity, enhancing agriculture, and driving economic development in the zone.
The governors announced the resolution on Monday after a meeting with the United Nations delegation led by Amina Mohammed, its deputy secretary-general, at the Katsina government house in Asokoro, Abuja.
Dikko Radda, governor of Katsina, who spoke with journalists, said he and his colleagues are committed to tackling the north-west’s economic, security, and agricultural challenges together.
He said the meeting, attended by other development partners, focused on enhancing and revitalising the region’s agricultural potential.
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“Today, we had a meeting in which a lot of presentations were made,” Radda said.
“The UN delegation under the leadership of the deputy secretary-general of the UN, who happens to be in Nigeria, decided to join the meeting because of the importance she attaches to the forum and also for her to appreciate the kind of leadership that is in the north-west at the moment.
“Again, the United Nations representative of the country and all the United Nations agencies attended the meeting, and presentations were made in areas of collaboration and coordination between the north-west states and the development partners, particularly the United Nations.
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“After that, we had an elaborate meeting also with the Africa Development Bank on Nigeria’s agricultural growth scheme (NAGS) 2.0, which is targeted at the north-western states.
“A lot of issues were discussed. We are on the eve of starting the process of the implementation of that programme, which will address the issues of agricultural development and the agricultural value chain within our region.
“And the issue of the special agro-industrial processing zones programme (SAPZ) was also discussed. The second phase and the first phase.
“The first phase of the SAPZ—Kaduna and Kano states—were involved. And in the second phase, all five north-west states are going to be part of the beneficiaries of that scheme. Elaborate discussion was done.
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“And all of us have agreed to work together in areas of economic development, to develop agriculture, address issues bothering on out-of-school, address poverty level, and create employment for our teeming youths.
“So, these are the focus of the administrations of the various states in the north-west and together, if we cooperate, we are going to achieve that holistically.
“And the whole north-west states are in support of Mr. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in most of his initiatives to provide economic prosperity to our country, Nigeria.”
The governors confirmed Mariam Musa as the director-general (DG) of the forum to coordinate the activities of the group.
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Radda added that the governors will also provide a focal person to handle the development partners’ programme in their various states for proper coordination and synergy.
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