Governors of the 19 Northern states Wednesday formally inaugurated the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Northern Nigeria Security Trust Fund (NNSTF), with a promise to contribute N1 billion monthly for one year to strengthen regional efforts against insecurity.
Chairman of the Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF) and governor of Gombe state, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, said the initiative became necessary as a result of the growing threats of banditry, terrorism, kidnapping, drug abuse and other criminal activities across northern Nigeria.
Speaking at the meeting in Kaduna, Yahaya said the trust fund would complement federal security efforts through improved intelligence sharing, resource mobilisation and regional coordination.
“Today’s inauguration of the Board of Trustees marks the first major step towards actualising our commitment to tackling insecurity across the region in a more organised, coordinated, sustainable and accountable manner,” he said.
He added that while the federal government has the constitutional responsibility for security, the southern states must complement those efforts by supporting intelligence gathering, fostering community resilience and strengthening collaboration among security agencies.
He said the trustees, drawn from the 19 Northern states, were selected based on their integrity, experience and patriotism, while urging them to ensure transparency, accountability and prudent management of the fund.
Yahaya stated that each northern state and its local governments had resolved to contribute ₦1 billion monthly for 12 months to guarantee sustainable funding for the initiative.
“I commend the states that have already begun redeeming their commitments. However, I respectfully call on all my brother governors to redeem their pledges promptly and consistently,” he said.
He added that the trust fund “must not become another layer of bureaucracy” but should remain a practical platform focused on delivering measurable improvements in security coordination, intelligence sharing and the protection of lives and property.
The NGSF chairman also urged the board to work closely with federal security agencies, traditional rulers, community leaders, civil society organisations and the private sector to tackle insecurity.
He commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on his administration’s commitment to improving national security and expressed support for ongoing discussions on state policing.
Governor Yahaya noted that military operations alone would not solve the region’s security challenges, while calling for greater investments in education, agriculture, youth empowerment, job creation and poverty reduction to address the root causes of insecurity.