Politics, Security, Poverty - As Divided North Ponders Uncertain Future

Leadership (Abuja)

11 December 2011

Politics, Security, Poverty - As Divided North Ponders Uncertain Future

At the instance of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), last week, top political elite of the North met in Kaduna, with the significant absence of other political heavy weights, to chart the way forward for a region in crisis. LEADERSHIP SUNDAY's LOUIS ACHI takes a long view of north's quagmire and examines the core issues that have meshed to push the region into socio-economic and political tail-spin

The fact that sons of Northern Nigeria have had the lion share of the country's political governance over the past 51 years of independence contrasts alarmingly with the subsisting poverty of the northern region. In terms of sheer landmass, Northern Nigeria equates Zimbabwe and South Africa combined. It has the agricultural capacity to feed West Africa. From mid last century, by its sheer size, weight, natural endowments and seeming astute brand of politics, it had dominated the rest of Nigeria.

But without that mysterious chemistry of visionary leadership, the inherent promises, unfortunately for the region, are yet to be unlocked. - Successive observers have asked again; do the leaders of this land of promise have the interest of their people at heart?