Northern Nigeria’s Crossroads to Renewal

By 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.

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. 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. 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.

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 failed 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Therefore, Professor Odoh’s critique of the Southeast as a region rich in talent but trapped in outdated economic models is hauntingly more relevant to the North.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 asked 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 prioritized.
• 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 centers, attracting venture capital and building startups.
• Leadership by Merit – The region must prioritize competent, visionary leadership—leaders who invest in people, not power.

On a final note one may respond to Professor Odoh 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, destabilized, 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.