Gombe State Governor and Chairman of the Northern Nigeria Governors Forum (NNGF), Alhaji Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, has reviewed the progress of the North-East Governors' Forum (NEGF) since its inception in 2020. The forum, comprising six states, was established to address regional challenges such as insurgency, banditry, and infrastructure deficits. Yahaya noted that the collective efforts have yielded concrete results in areas like infrastructure, energy, and economic development.
The NEGF has made significant strides in regional cooperation, with achievements including the rehabilitation of strategic roads and renewed efforts on regional power and connectivity. The forum has also contributed to the revival of the North-East Trade Fair and progress towards establishing a regional airline. These accomplishments demonstrate the value of the six states working together to address challenges that transcend individual state boundaries.
Yahaya made these remarks at the 13th meeting of the North-East Governors' Forum in Maiduguri, Borno State. He emphasized the need for the forum to build on the progress recorded by strengthening mechanisms that ensure decisions translate into measurable outcomes for the people. The forum has evolved into an institutional platform with a Secretariat, Technical Working Committee, and sectoral committees responsible for advancing decisions between meetings.
One of the notable outcomes of the forum's collective advocacy was the joint presentation of 17 strategic road projects and the Port Harcourt-Jos-Bauchi-Maiduguri rail corridor to the Federal Government in September 2025. The federal government subsequently flagged off the rehabilitation of key roads, covering nearly 99 kilometres of strategic corridors critical to security, recovery, and cross-border trade.
The Akwanga-Jos-Bauchi-Gombe-Biu-Maiduguri highway has also been adopted as a legacy road project of President Bola Tinubu. Additionally, the forum has helped shift the conversation from isolated state-level concerns to a regional energy agenda, with the Dadinkowa Hydropower Plant now feeding the national grid. The new electricity law has created opportunities for states to reform their electricity markets and expand renewable energy solutions.
The revival of the North-East Trade Fair in Bauchi in 2024 is another example of a forum resolution being translated into concrete action. The region's ability to pool resources has also been demonstrated through an N30 initiative. Yahaya challenged the forum to move beyond policy resolutions and strengthen delivery mechanisms to achieve measurable results.
The North-East Governors' Forum was established out of necessity, as individual states could not effectively address regional challenges in isolation. Six years and twelve meetings later, the forum has made significant progress, but Yahaya emphasized the need for stronger delivery mechanisms to turn resolutions into tangible outcomes for the people.
Key points
- The North-East Governors' Forum has made significant progress in regional cooperation since its establishment in 2020.
- The forum's collective advocacy has led to the joint presentation of key infrastructure projects to the Federal Government.
- The forum aims to strengthen mechanisms to ensure decisions translate into measurable outcomes for the people.
