Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar yesterday delivered a hard-hitting message to northern leaders, warning that the region risks falling dangerously behind unless it urgently embraces unity, visionary leadership, and aggressive development reforms.

He spoke at the 25th anniversary of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) in Kaduna.

Atiku praised the ACF for maintaining relevance through “thick and thin,” despite political turbulence and security setbacks over the last quarter century. He paid tribute to the Forum’s founding leaders, calling their contributions “a testament to courage and resilience.”

Reflecting on the Forum’s origin, Atiku recalled that the North was “deeply divided” in 1999, prompting him to convene senior statesmen led by the Emir of Ilorin, HRH Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, to reconcile rival blocs.

That initiative, he said, produced the united platform now known as the ACF under the chairmanship of General Yakubu Gowon (rtd). The former Vice President stressed that the ACF was created not only as a political bridge, but as a vehicle to revive Ahmadu Bello’s development agenda, anchored on education, agriculture, and industrialisation.

He, however, lamented that, despite past efforts – including the Northern Development Programme (NDP) – the region remains stuck with poor outcomes, collapsing industries, and agricultural stagnation.

Atiku warned that unmanaged diversity, internal divisions, and “sophisticated subversion by adversaries” threaten the North’s stability.

He urged leaders to emulate countries like China and India, which transformed diversity into national strength.

With Nigeria projected to surpass 400 million people by 2050, he raised urgent questions about food security, education, healthcare, and youth employment.

“The 21st century will not accept complacency or leadership without vision,” he declared, adding that “if there is any time for the North to unite, it is now.” (The Sun)