President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to deepening collaboration with traditional institutions as part of efforts to foster peace, security, national unity, and sustainable development across Nigeria.
He emphasized that traditional rulers remain indispensable partners in governance due to their strong community ties and unique ability to mobilize citizens in support of national objectives.
“Across generations, our traditional rulers have served as custodians of culture and values, mediators in times of conflict and trusted bridges between government and the people,” he said.
The President spoke at the 8th Executive Committee Meeting of the Northern Traditional Rulers’ Council in Dutse, Jigawa State, where he was represented by Information and National Orientation Minister Mohammed Idris.
He said: “The administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu fully recognises the strategic role of traditional institutions and remains committed to deepening engagement with traditional rulers in advancing peace, security, national cohesion and development.”
Tinubu commended the Northern Traditional Rulers’ Council, led by Sultan of Sokoto Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, for its contributions to peace-building, security, unity and development of the region.
Tinubu described peace as the bedrock of development and prosperity, stressing that sustainable progress can only thrive in an atmosphere of unity and stability.
On security, Tinubu said his administration has strengthened coordination among the Armed Forces, intelligence agencies and other security institutions, resulting in notable successes against criminal and terror groups.
He, however, noted that military action alone cannot guarantee lasting peace, insisting that poverty, unemployment, social exclusion and limited economic opportunities must also be addressed.
Tinubu also highlighted key economic interventions of his administration, including programmes in agriculture, livestock development, solid minerals, infrastructure, education financing, consumer credit and support for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
He described the creation of the Ministry of Livestock Development as a landmark initiative aimed at modernising livestock production, boosting productivity, improving food security and reducing farmer-herder conflicts.
In his keynote address, the chairman of the Northern States Governors’ Forum, Muhammadu Yahaya, declared that the worsening insecurity in the North has reached a point where “silence, hesitation and routine responses are no longer acceptable.
“The old methods are clearly not working. We cannot continue to confront rapidly changing security threats with outdated strategies and fragmented responses,” he said, urging leaders to move beyond meetings and communiqués that fail to produce tangible results,’’said Yahaya, who is also the governor of Gombe State.
He identified banditry, insurgency, farmer-herder clashes and communal conflicts as the biggest threats to the North, lamenting that communities have been displaced, farmlands abandoned, markets destroyed, and schools shut down due to persistent violence.
Host Governor Umar Namadi of Jigawa State called on traditional rulers to intensify efforts toward promoting peace, unity and sustainable development, stressing that security remains the foundation for prosperity and progress.
Namadi listed insecurity, poverty, youth unemployment, climate change, drug abuse and the growing number of out-of-school children as the major challenges confronting the region.
He urged stronger collaboration amongst governments, traditional institutions and communities to address the region’s socio-economic and security challenges.
“Security is the foundation of peace, peace is the condition for unity, and unity is the pathway to sustainable development,” the governor said.
He commended President Tinubu’s efforts to combat insecurity through intensified military operations, intelligence gathering and enhanced cooperation between federal and state authorities.
