Northern Elders Forum Launches 2-Day Northern Nigeria Investment and Industrialisation Summit 2025
The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has commenced its maiden Northern Nigeria Investment and Industrialisation Summit 2025 in Abuja, a two-day event themed “Unlocking Strategic Opportunities in Mining, Agriculture, and Power (MAP 2025).”
The summit brings together a wide array of stakeholders including representatives of the Federal Government, ministers, ambassadors and high commissioners, the 19 Northern states, captains of industry, development partners, high-profile dignitaries, and key players from both local and international organizations within the mining, agriculture, and power sectors.
Delivering the opening address on behalf of Prof. Ango Abdullahi, Convener and Chairman of the Northern Elders Forum, retired Air Marshal Al-Amin Daggash (CFR) emphasized that the summit is neither political nor ceremonial. Instead, he described it as a bold step toward economic prosperity—a rallying call for action to build a sustainable and inclusive future for Northern Nigeria.
He elaborated that the MAP 2025 theme is more than a slogan; it represents a 10-year strategic blueprint to reposition the North as a hub of industrial innovation and inclusive growth. Historically, Northern Nigeria’s economic backbone has been agriculture, supported by an extensive colonial-era rail network. Today, while the region is richly endowed with mineral resources, arable land, and a youthful population, these assets can only be fully leveraged through investment in modern infrastructure such as railways, power generation, and storage systems.
Calling for urgent policy reforms, NEF stressed the need to review collateral requirements and promote inclusive access to landownership. It maintained that optimizing Northern Nigeria’s resources is not only vital for regional development but also for national stability, industrial progress, and global competitiveness.
Objectives of MAP 2025:
- Attract investment into mining, agriculture, power, and related industries
- Revive industrialization across Northern Nigeria
- Create opportunities for youth employment and entrepreneurship
- Enhance peace and security through inclusive development
- Strengthen public-private partnerships to fast-track infrastructure development
In his goodwill message, Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal praised NEF for its commitment to regional advancement. He described MAP 2025 as a deliberate and strategic roadmap for Northern prosperity. Governor Lawal called for the formation of a regional committee comprising state investment promotion agencies to draft a unified investment and regulatory framework. He emphasized the need to develop enabling infrastructure—particularly in power—and advocated for a cohesive regional voice in security and economic matters. According to him, coordinated investment in key infrastructure such as power, railways, and fiber optics would not only unlock opportunities in MAP sectors but also unleash the potential of the Northern people, contributing significantly to national food security and economic resilience.
Representing President Bola Tinubu, Minister of Finance Mr. Wale Edun reaffirmed the Federal Government’s support for MAP 2025. He urged Nigerians to believe in dialogue and negotiation as tools for progress, insisting that potential must be translated into prosperity. Edun highlighted the Tinubu administration’s focus on fairness, equity, and transparent access to funds for all states. He noted measurable progress in agriculture, mining, and power, aligning MAP 2025 with the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda. According to him, this initiative will drive job creation, spur innovation, foster financial creativity, and stabilize market forces. He also announced a planned $32 billion investment in industrialization by 2030.
During the summit, a charter was signed between the Northern Nigeria Integrated Economic Development Charter and NEAI, followed by the official handover of the NEAI Compendium to NEF. The event also featured panel discussions, a fire-side chat on repositioning Northern Nigeria as a competitive industrial hub, and several other strategic engagements.
