By Auwal Ahmad Umar 

Gombe State Governor and Chairman of the Northern Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NNGF), Alhaji Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, has called for stronger collaboration between government and academics to develop knowledge-driven solutions to the security, education and socio-economic challenges confronting Northern Nigeria.

Alhaji Yahaya made the call during separate engagements with senior academics and women Ulamas from across Northern Nigeria held in Abuja at the weekend.

The engagements were organised by the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Political and Other Matters, Alhaji Ibrahim Kabir Masari, under the theme, “Consolidating the Renewed Hope Agenda: President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Achievements and the Road to 2027.”

The meetings brought together hundreds of academics and women Islamic scholars to examine critical challenges facing the region and assess policies and interventions of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.

Alhaji Yahaya, who is also the Secretary of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors, said the North could not effectively address its complex challenges without tapping into the knowledge, research and experience of its intellectual community.

He identified insecurity, the growing number of out-of-school children, food security, vocational education, farmer-herder conflicts and peaceful coexistence as some of the areas requiring sustained attention and collective action.

On security, the governor acknowledged the challenges still confronting the region but said there had been gradual improvement since the Tinubu administration assumed office.

He urged stakeholders to deepen their partnership with government to consolidate the gains made and work towards achieving lasting peace.

Addressing the academics, Alhaji Yahaya stressed the importance of evidence-based approaches in tackling the out-of-school children crisis.

“We need to join our understanding with your perspective to deal with this situation,”

he said, urging scholars to deploy their research and expertise in developing sustainable solutions.

The governor also advocated greater attention to vocational and skills-based education, saying it could equip young Nigerians with practical skills, improve employability and create opportunities for self-reliance.

On peaceful coexistence, Alhaji Yahaya said the diversity of Northern Nigeria should be regarded as a strength rather than a source of division.

He called for stronger efforts to prevent and resolve farmer-herder conflicts, noting that peace was critical to agricultural productivity, economic growth and social stability in the region.

The governor also commended President Tinubu for establishing the Ministry of Livestock Development, describing the initiative as a bold policy direction with the potential to transform the livestock sector and address longstanding farmer-herder disputes.

He urged stakeholders to support the initiative and contribute ideas that would enhance its success.

“We need to benefit from your knowledge,” Alhaji Yahaya told the academics, stressing the importance of intellectual contributions to national development.

At a separate engagement with women Ulamas, organised in collaboration with the Muslim Intellectual Forum, the governor commended the participants for their contributions to faith propagation, family values and community development.

He said women Islamic scholars had an important role to play in promoting peaceful coexistence, responsible parenting, moral values and social cohesion, particularly amid growing pressures on families and communities.

Alhaji Yahaya assured the participants that the consultations would be extended across the states of Northern Nigeria to deepen engagement, improve communication and strengthen mobilisation around the Renewed Hope Agenda.

Earlier, the convener of the engagements, Alhaji Ibrahim Kabir Masari, said the initiative was designed to provide a structured platform for government to continuously consult critical stakeholders on national development.

Alhaji Masari said the engagement with academics was not primarily political but aimed at harnessing their knowledge, experience and research to help address Nigeria’s challenges.

He said the government needed the “knowledge, expertise, research and other academic contributions” of scholars to develop sustainable solutions and chart a stronger development path for the country.

Alhaji Masari added that mechanisms would be developed to ensure regular consultation with academics on policy and national development issues.

The engagements were attended by political and government leaders, including the governors of Kaduna, Borno and Yobe states, former governors of Katsina and Zamfara states, serving ministers and other senior government officials.

Communiqués containing resolutions reached at the separate sessions were presented at the conclusion of the engagements.