N’West Govs vow to Tackle Out-of-school Children, Poverty

Chibuzor Alli

The North-West Governors’ Forum has reiterated its commitment to addressing the challenges of out-of-school children, poverty, and youth unemployment in the region.

This statement was disclosed during a meeting on Monday with senior officials from the United Nations and the African Development Bank, aimed at promoting vital development initiatives.

The meeting took place at the Katsina House in Abuja.

According to a statement from Ibrahim Mohammed, Chief Press Secretary to the Katsina State Governor and Chairman of the forum, Dikko Radda, the significance of the engagement was underscored by the presence of UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed.

Governor Radda noted that her attendance highlighted the importance of the forum and acknowledged the current leadership in the North-West.

The meeting included key governors such as Uba Sani of Kaduna State, Dauda Lawal of Zamfara, Ahmed Aliyu of Sokoto, and Umar Namadi of Jigawa State.

They received updates from UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed and UN Resident Coordinator Malick Fall regarding ongoing programs and collaborative efforts.

The statement emphasized that the forum members agreed to implement immediate and impactful interventions in areas such as social protection, education, food security, and climate adaptation.

Governor Radda also shared insights from discussions with the African Development Bank, stating,

“We had an elaborate meeting with the African Development Bank regarding NAG 2.0 – the Nigeria Agricultural Growth Scheme — which targets the Northwestern States.”

Concluding the statement, Radda expressed the Forum’s unwavering support for President Bola Tinubu’s initiatives, affirming that “the whole Northwest state governors are in support of the efforts of Mr. President and his initiatives to provide economic prosperity to our country Nigeria.”