Northern govs unveil security trust fund board, commit ₦1bn monthly to tackle insecurity

The 19 northern governors of Nigeria have established the Northern Nigeria Security Trust Fund, a significant initiative to confront the region's worsening security crisis. Governor Muhammadu Yahaya of Gombe State, who chairs the Northern States Governors' Forum, announced the fund's inauguration in Kaduna, emphasizing its role in addressing banditry, terrorism, kidnapping, and drug abuse.

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Today marks a significant milestone in our collective effort to confront one of the most serious challenges facing Northern Nigeria: the challenge of insecurity.

The fund commits ₦1 billion monthly and is designed to mobilize resources, enhance intelligence collaboration, and support federal security agencies in protecting lives and property. Yahaya stressed that while national security remains a federal responsibility, the northern states are resolved to bolster these efforts through regional cooperation.

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Across the North, in every state, the threats posed by banditry, terrorism, kidnapping, drug abuse and other forms of criminality have continued to undermine peaceful coexistence, disrupt livelihoods and weaken social cohesion, thereby slowing down the pace of development in our great region.

Governor Yahaya highlighted that the fund is not intended to become another bureaucratic layer but a focused platform for resource mobilization and strategic support. He expressed confidence in the carefully selected Board of Trustees, chosen for their integrity, patriotism, and professional experience, to deliver practical results. The initiative aims to foster peaceful coexistence, disrupt livelihoods, and accelerate development across the North.

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It was in furtherance of this commitment that the Forum resolved to establish the Northern Nigeria Security Trust Fund.