Close Menu
PARADIGM NEWS
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    • Home
    • Privacy Policy
    Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp Telegram
    PARADIGM NEWS
    • Home
    • Features

      I’ll dress elegantly for a week, lady vows as Kano women storm markets

      March 29, 2025

      Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje’s Legacy of Progress and Excellence

      December 25, 2024

      The rise and fall of Faruk Lawan: A lesson in power and intrigues

      December 17, 2024

      Will The Axing of Zakirai Make Education Great In Kano

      December 17, 2024

      Harmattan Brings Boom to Tea, Noodle, Bean Cake Sellers in Kano

      December 15, 2024
    • News
      1. Local
      2. National
      3. International
      4. View All

      NGO Empowers 50 GBV Survivors in Kano

      July 29, 2025

      KNSG Launches Safe Space for Women Battling Drug Addiction

      July 22, 2025

      Rescue Efforts End in Tragedy as Four Drown in Kano Waterway

      July 19, 2025

      Kano Assembly Denies Investigating ALGON Chair Hajiya Sa’adatu

      July 18, 2025

      Maiyaki’s Appointment Will Boost Governance Media Unity-NUJ KD

      July 30, 2025

      NHIA, NSITF Unite to Bridge Gaps in Workers’ Welfare Schemes

      July 27, 2025

      Justice and Dignity at Heart of Nigeria’s Correctional Reforms- Minister

      July 27, 2025

      Renewed Hope Estate Kano Set for Tinubu’s Commissioning

      July 25, 2025

      Trump to Withdraw U.S. from UNESCO Again, Slams “Woke”

      July 29, 2025

      UN Summit: Africa Calls for Urgent Action on Global Food Crisis

      July 29, 2025

      Tinubu’s Green Diplomacy in Action as Nigeria Donates Cashew to Ethiopia

      July 28, 2025

      Just in: Saudi Arabia’s Sleeping Prince Dies After 19 Years in Coma

      July 20, 2025

      MPPPM&E Lauds Quality of Kano’s ₦50B Urban Renewal Projects

      July 30, 2025

      UNICEF Appoints Wafaa Saeed as New Country Representative in Nigeria

      July 29, 2025

      Jigawa State Disburses Over ₦1.5 Billion to 569 Retirees

      July 28, 2025

      KNHA Recommends Revocation of 5km Gabasawa Road Project

      July 28, 2025
    • Politics

      Just in : Atiku Quits PDP, Blames Party’s New Direction

      July 16, 2025

      Sule Lamido Backs Opposition Coalition Under ADC

      July 15, 2025

      Ringim Blames Sule Lamido, Not Wike, for PDP Crisis

      July 13, 2025

      Commissioner Waiya Endorses Women’s Political Representation

      July 7, 2025

      Gauta Club Gets 14 New Patrons as Waiya Champions Inclusive Politics

      July 5, 2025
    • Conflict

      Kadpoly Retiree faults Committee, Demolition Of Property

      March 27, 2025

      President Tinubu Declares State of Emergency in Rivers State

      March 18, 2025

      El-Rufai Defends Najaatu Muhammad Against Ribadus Denials

      February 5, 2025

      Tinubu’s Corruption Saga: Najaatu-Ribadu Feud Takes Center Stage

      February 5, 2025

      Kano Inaugurates Committee to Investigate Rimin Zakara Dispute

      February 3, 2025
    • More
      • Analysis
      • Business
      • Crime
      • Cultural events
      • Economy
      • Education
      • Editorial
      • Entertainment
      • Environment
      • Fashion
      • Health
      • Lifestyle
      • Personality profile
      • Science
      • Sports
      • Technology
    • Hausa

      Biza don Haihuwa:Amurka Ta Sanya Sabon Sharadi Ga Yan Najeriya

      July 29, 2025

      Likitoci a Legas Za Su Fara Yajin Aiki na Kwana Uku

      July 28, 2025

      PDP Ta Bukaci Fayose Ya Fice Daga Cikin Jam’iyyar

      July 28, 2025

      NYSC Ta Sha Kaye a Kotu Kan Haramta Siket Ga ‘Yan Mata

      July 28, 2025

      Labari Cikin Hotuna:Aisha Buhari ta Koma KD Domin yin Takaba

      July 28, 2025
    Subscribe
    PARADIGM NEWS
    Home » Northern Nigeria’s Crossroads to Renewal
    Opinion

    Northern Nigeria’s Crossroads to Renewal

    EditorBy EditorJuly 6, 2025Updated:July 6, 2025No Comments4 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter Telegram WhatsApp

    Adamu S Ladan

    In a recent thought-provoking piece, a Professor from the Southeast, Benard Ifeanyi Odoh painted a compelling picture of the widening economic gulf between Nigeria’s Southeast and Southwest.

    He rightly argued that the Southwest has harnessed structured education, global exposure, and strategic investments to emerge as an economic powerhouse, while the Southeast, though industrious, risks economic stagnation due to over-reliance on trade and remittances.

    Ad 4

    Northern Nigeria: A Shadow of Its Former Self?

    But perhaps the most sobering implication of Odoh’s argument lies not in the regional comparison he drew but in what it says about Northern Nigeria, which stands even further behind in the country’s economic race.

    Northern Nigeria, by all measures, should be an economic force. It is blessed with the largest landmass, vast agricultural potential, a youthful population, and a deep-rooted culture of enterprise.

    Ad 3

    Its cities once bustled with trade, its farms fed the nation, and its influence extended beyond Nigeria’s borders. But today, that legacy is in tatters.

    The region leads the country not in innovation or investment, but in poverty, illiteracy, malnutrition, and insecurity.

    Ash Noor

    These conditions are no longer abstract statistics—they are the lived reality of millions. While Lagos churns out tech unicorns and the Southeast thrives in commerce, much of the North struggles to sustain basic education, access healthcare, or protect its own farmers.

    Analysis By An Igbo Man: Northern Nigeria,Kano Throne On The Globe

    Perhaps one asked, what went wrong? Some blame external forces colonial neglect, national policy biases, or international conspiracies.

    But these explanations, while not entirely unfounded, ignore a more painful truth: the North was torn from within.

    The post-independence elite, handed a rich inheritance by visionary leaders like Sir Ahmadu Bello. But the generations that followed them betrayed this legacy by failing to protect or build upon it.

    Thus, public service gave way to patronage. Education took a backseat to political expediency. And generations of young Northerners were left behind poor, unskilled, and angry.

    Today, many are recruited into banditry and extremism not out of ideology but desperation.

    Therefore, Professor Odoh’s critique of the Southeast as a region rich in talent but trapped in outdated economic models is hauntingly more relevant to the North.

    If the Southeast risks becoming irrelevant in a digital global economy, then the North risks becoming economically obsolete and socially unstable.

    And while the Southeast still thrives on trade, diaspora links, and cultural exports, the North is rapidly losing even its traditional economic base.

    Then, one may ask What should we do? Reclaiming the North’s future as a way forward will require more than political promises or cosmetic interventions.

    It demands a Marshall Plan for the North bold, strategic, and uncompromising. And this is a task that the two regional development authorities (Northeast and Northwest Development Commissions) must undertake.

    To drive this transformation focus must be made on five urgent pillars:

    • Education Revolution – Mass, inclusive and quality education. No nation thrives with half its population uneducated.

    • Security and Stability – Without peace, development is impossible. Community-based security and rehabilitation of displaced people must be prioritised.

    • Agro-Industrial Development – The North must not just farm; it must process, brand, and export.

    • Tech and Innovation Hubs – Cities like Kaduna, Kano, and Jos should become digital job centres, attracting venture capital and building startups.

    • Leadership by Merit – The region must prioritise competent, visionary leadership—leaders who invest in people, not power.

    On a final note one may respond to Professor Odoh’s submission that, if the Southeast is at a crossroads, Northern Nigeria stands at a precipice.

    The choice is however ours if we like we can continue on the region’s current path dependent, destabilised, and disillusioned or we strive to rise.

    Nonetheless, the region still holds immense promise, but it must be earned through deliberate effort and transformative governance.

    As Professor Odoh noted, “Those who control the future do not wait for it—they build it.” The North must now choose to build. Not tomorrow. Now.
    May Almighty Allah be with us.

    Share. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Telegram WhatsApp

    Related Posts

    Kwankwaso, the Emir of Daura and the task of nation building

    July 23, 2025

    Usman Dankwano: A Humble Visionary’s Rise to Director Film Pro

    July 22, 2025

    Renaming UNIMAID After Buhari: A Befitting Honour to a Statesman

    July 21, 2025

    The Remarkable Leadership of Ass Prof Yakubu as Provost KCEPS

    July 16, 2025
    Add A Comment
    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    Editors Picks

    Port Harcourt Refinery Not for Sale- NNPC Boss

    July 30, 2025

    CITAD Cautions DSS Against Arbitrary Intimidation of Citizens

    July 30, 2025

    MPPPM&E Lauds Quality of Kano’s ₦50B Urban Renewal Projects

    July 30, 2025

    Maiyaki’s Appointment Will Boost Governance Media Unity-NUJ KD

    July 30, 2025
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • TikTok
    • WhatsApp
    Hajaj Albait 2
    © 2025 PARADIGM NEWS
    • Home
    • Privacy Policy

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.