By Obinna Uballa
Northern Nigeria has taken a bold step towards economic transformation with the launch of the Northern Nigeria Economic Development Council (NNEDC), a new institutional framework created to attract investment, harmonise policies, and drive industrialisation across the 19 states of the region.
The council was unveiled at the close of the Northern Nigeria Investment and Industrialisation Summit (NNIIS) in Abuja on Monday, where participants pledged more than $10 billion in fresh investments targeting mining, agriculture, and power over the next five years.
In a communiqué signed by the Chairman of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) Board of Trustees, Prof. Ango Abdullahi, the Forum said the NNEDC would anchor the Northern Nigeria Economic Development Masterplan, with security, policy coherence, and private capital as the three pillars of the region’s growth agenda.
The two-day summit, themed “Unlocking Strategic Opportunities in Mining, Agriculture, and Power (MAP 2025),” drew a broad coalition of federal officials, northern governors, private sector leaders, financiers, academics, and civil society. It featured exhibitions from the 19 state investment promotion agencies, panel discussions, deal-room sessions, and investment showcases.
Delegations from Saudi Arabia, Canada, Bangladesh, Turkey, India, and South Africa joined Nigerian participants, signalling their readiness to inject billions of dollars into the North’s growth sectors.
Declaring the summit open, President Bola Tinubu – represented by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun – reiterated the federal government’s commitment to reviving the region’s economy through partnerships and capital mobilisation.
NEF, which convened the summit, thanked the President for his support, promising accountability and transparency in delivering results. In a landmark move, governors from the North West, North East, and North Central signed the Northern Nigeria Economic Development Charter, committing their states to a unified vision for regional transformation.
The newly created NNEDC will operate under the joint oversight of NEF and the Northern Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NNGF). A Joint Implementation and Monitoring Taskforce (JIMT) has been set up to release a roadmap within 60 days, while quarterly scorecards will track outcomes such as job creation, energy capacity, and capital inflows.
“This marks a decisive pivot from rhetoric to execution,” said Prof. D.D. Sheni, Director-General of NEF. “With security as the bedrock, policy coherence as the framework, and private capital as the engine, Northern Nigeria can turn its vast endowments into sustainable growth.”
Participants at the summit also highlighted the region’s significant mineral deposits – including gold, copper, lithium, tantalite, and granite – while warning against illegal mining and environmental risks. They called for reforms in land administration, mining governance, and permitting systems, alongside credible frameworks for community engagement.
Experts further urged the mobilisation of capital market instruments such as Sukuk, green bonds, and infrastructure funds to finance power projects, while advocating standardised PPP models and digitised land titling to accelerate infrastructure delivery.
NEF concluded by reaffirming its commitment to inclusive prosperity and regional stability, stressing that the NNEDC represents a historic shift in Northern Nigeria’s development trajectory.
