Governors of the six North-East states have renewed their commitment to strengthening security cooperation and addressing the socio-economic challenges exposing young people to criminal and extremist groups.
The commitment was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of the 13th meeting of the North-East Governors’ Forum (NEGF), held in Maiduguri, Borno State.
The governors acknowledged the significant progress recorded in the fight against insurgency in the region, commending the courage and sacrifices of the Armed Forces and other security agencies, as well as the resilience of residents.
They, however, expressed concern that the North-East still faces serious humanitarian and infrastructural challenges.
The forum pledged to strengthen inter-state cooperation, intelligence sharing, community engagement and coordinated responses to emerging security threats.
It also stressed the need to address the underlying socio-economic conditions that could make young people vulnerable to exploitation by criminal and extremist elements.
According to the governors, the North-East has one of the youngest populations in Nigeria, making youth development both an opportunity and a responsibility.
They therefore recommitted to providing young people with quality education, vocational and entrepreneurial skills, technology and meaningful employment opportunities.
The governors said the measures were necessary to build a secure and prosperous region where young people could develop dignified livelihoods.
The forum also called for increased investment in education, including the release of long-awaited scholarship awards to indigent students across the region and stronger efforts to reduce the number of out-of-school children.
It further called for coordinated support for Tsangaya education.
The 13th meeting was attended by representatives of all six member states, with Borno Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, serving as Chairman of the forum.
The next NEGF meeting will hold in Gombe on December 18 and 19, 2026.
