In what appears to be a last-ditch effort to rescue Northern Nigeria from crippling insecurity, governors of the 19 northern states convened in Kaduna midweek to announce the establishment of the Northern Nigeria Security Trust Fund (NNSTF). The initiative is aimed at addressing the region’s deepening security crisis and marks a significant shift from what many Nigerians have long criticised as a lackadaisical response to insecurity in the North.
There is no need to restate the obvious: insecurity continues to threaten peace, livelihoods, and development across the region. This reality was echoed by the Chairman of the Northern States Governors’ Forum, Muhammadu Yahaya, who noted that, “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.”
A Region in Chains
The inauguration of the NNSTF could not have come at a more critical time. In a region where lives have increasingly become expendable and citizens are easy targets for criminal elements, the Kaduna meeting represents a defining moment. It suggests that political leaders in the North may finally be awakening to their responsibility to protect lives and property.
Many analysts, including this writer, have long maintained that insecurity in Nigeria is largely a northern problem that must be addressed by the region itself. Attempts to internationalise or obscure the issue often serve to distract from the real drivers of violence. Beyond the shortage of security personnel, the persistence of insecurity is also linked to the complicity of rogue security operatives and their collaborators, who have turned insecurity into a lucrative enterprise for siphoning public funds.
From the Boko Haram insurgency, which culminated in the extrajudicial killing of its leader, Mohammed Yusuf, in Maiduguri, to the rise of banditry and kidnapping, insecurity has evolved into a disturbing economy. Victims’ accounts frequently point to collusion between criminals and elements within the security apparatus, including the illicit supply of arms.
Politicised Insecurity
Partisan politics has further deepened the crisis, undermining efforts to build a united front against violent non-state actors. The weaponisation of insecurity reached alarming levels ahead of the 2015 elections, when fears were stoked that the country would become ungovernable if former President Goodluck Jonathan retained power. In a defining moment, Jonathan conceded defeat, declaring that his ambition was not worth the blood of any Nigerian. Yet, since then, Nigeria’s political landscape has remained marred by conspiracy, violence, and the commodification of power.
Under President Muhammadu Buhari, the North endured some of its most turbulent years, becoming synonymous with mass killings and destruction. Despite appointing northerners to head key security agencies, the region bled relentlessly, with millions displaced and vast sums reportedly siphoned under the guise of security spending. Today’s insecurity is, in many ways, a product of leadership failures and a society that too often prioritises ethnicity and religion over justice and equity.
Money Is Not the Problem
If funding alone could solve insecurity, Northern Nigeria—and indeed the entire country—would long have become a haven of peace. Instead, after more than two decades of sustained violence, insecurity continues to deter both local and foreign investment. Governors’ frequent investment tours abroad have yielded little beyond promises.
While some northern governors appear genuinely committed to tackling insecurity, they remain too few to effect the systemic change required. The Kaduna meeting, though symbolic, risks becoming another ceremonial gesture unless backed by concrete and coordinated action.
The proposal for each of the 19 states to contribute N1 billion monthly to the NNSTF raises further concerns. Given varying security challenges and fiscal capacities, it is uncertain whether all states will sustain such commitments. States less affected by insecurity may be reluctant to shoulder equal financial burdens as those on the frontlines.
The Real Challenge
Northern Nigeria remains both a vast opportunity for national growth and a significant source of instability. Until its leadership confronts insecurity decisively, the cloud of violence will continue to loom over the entire country.
Corruption, driven by an obsession with wealth accumulation, has consistently undermined efforts to unite the region against its adversaries. More troubling is the lack of cohesion among those tasked with safeguarding what is often referred to as “Sardauna’s House.”
The path forward lies in the democratisation of security management—from local communities to the highest levels of governance. As calls for the devolution of security intensify, Nigeria appears to be inching toward a model where sub-national units play a greater role in safeguarding their territories.
For now, however, the fight against insecurity risks being overshadowed by politics rather than driven by genuine commitment. Without decisive action, the effort to rescue Sardauna’s troubled house may remain an unfulfilled aspiration.