Borno Development Foundation, NESG and the Move Towards a New Borno

By Musa Hausawa I was a witness to history when Borno Development Foundation signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Nigeria Economic Summit Group, NESG, to help the beleaguered people of Borno get back on their feet and break off the yoke of insurgency and insecurity. I was not there as an observer but as […]

By Musa Hausawa

I was a witness to history when Borno Development Foundation signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Nigeria Economic Summit Group, NESG, to help the beleaguered people of Borno get back on their feet and break off the yoke of insurgency and insecurity.

I was not there as an observer but as a witness to history. History that won’t be easy to be made but nonetheless achievable. And that is why these words rang in my ear as the foundation of that history was being laid:

“Our goal is to create anen during,credible,andnon-partisan platform that can catalyse the transformation of Borno and the wider region. The Borno Development Foundation (BDF) represents the collective commitment of those who believe that the future of our people must be built on a foundation of resilience, self-reliance, and strategic partnerships.”

These were the words of retired Air Marshal Allamin Daggash, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the BDF at the formal launch of the Borno Development Foundationand the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the National Economic Summit Group(NESG).

The signing of the MoU, late April 2025 in Abuja, is a significant milestone in Northern Nigeria’s development architecture. It represents a deliberat estepaway from crisis-mode development models toward institutionalised, data-driven, and community-anchored solutions.

TheBDFcomesasatimelynon-profit,non-partisanresponsefordrivinglong-termsocioeconomicrenewalforthebeleagueredpeopleofBornoStateandbyextension,theNortheast.Ittypifiesthecan-dospiritofprominentcitizensofthestateandisademonstrationofunitytowardsacommonpurpose.

LetmetellwhoevercarestoknowthatthelaunchoftheBornoDevelopmentFoundationanditslandmarkMoUwiththeNESGrepresentsasignificantmilestoneinajourneythatbeganin2020.Itistheproductofyearsofdeepreflection,strategicplanning,andinstitution-buildingbydistinguishedsonsanddaughtersofBorno.Unitedbyasharedbeliefthatfragmented,short-terminterventionscouldnolongermeetthescaleoftheregion’schallenges,thisimportantleverofinterventioncommittedtoaboldnewpath—buildingacredibleplatformtomobilizeresources,harnessexpertise,andforgepartnershipswithtransparencyandpurpose.

Thiscurrenteffortbuildsonanearlierinitiative,theBornoPalliativesSupportProject,whichwasdesignedduringtheCOVID-19pandemictodeliverrelieftothousandsofvulnerablefamilies.

ImustadmitthattheleadershipoftheBornoDevelopmentFoundation(BDF)isdrivenbyaboldambition:toestablishtheFoundationasthemostrespectedandenduringnon-governmentalinstitutionintheregion—oneknownforitstangibleimpactandunwaveringcommitmenttothemostvulnerableandunderservedcommunities.ThisiswhythepartnershipwiththeNigerianEconomicSummitGroup(NESG)wasnotonlystrategic,butessential.Itreflectsashareddedicationtosustainable,long-termdevelopmentoftheregion,rootedincredibility,collaboration,andsystemsthatoutlastheadlines.

ExpressinghisgenuinedelightatthepartnershipbetweenhisorganisationandBDF,OlaniyiYusuf,ChairmanoftheNESG,highlightedthesignificanceofthesigningoftheMoU.Inhiswords:

“Borno’srecoveryandresurgencearecrucialtothestabilityandprosperityofNigeriaasawhole.TheNESGisproudtoworkalongsidetheBDFtodeliverstructured,evidence-basedsolutionsthatempowercommunitiesandrebuildeconomicfoundations.”

GoingbytheprovisionsoftheMoU,theNESGwouldcollaboratewiththeBDFtodevelopoperationalframeworks,strengthengovernancesystems,andguidetheFoundationthroughtheearlycomplexitiesofinstitutionalgrowth.

MohammedHayatu-DeenwhoistheChairmanoftheBoardofGovernors,hadthistosay:

“ThejourneyfromconcepttostrategywasshapedinclosecoordinationwithNESG’sexperts.Wearetappingintotheircapacity,theirnetworks,andtheirinsight;notbecausewelackedvision,butbecauseweunderstandthevalueofbuildingwithotherswhohavewalkedsimilarpaths.”

WhenIlistenedtoTayoAduloju,theCEOofNESG,speak,Icouldgleensomeonewhofeltthisinitiativewouldwork.Hesaidtherelationshipgoesbeyondadvisory.Explaining,hesaidtheMoUbetweentheBDFandtheNESGprovidesfortheco-conveningoftheAnnualNorthernEconomicSummit,aplatformexpectedtobecomethemostinfluentialregionalforumforeconomicdialogue,investment,andpolicyalignmentinNorthernNigeria.TheSummit,settodebutlaterin2026,willbringtogetherstategovernments,federalagencies,privatesectorplayers,developmentpartners,andcommunityleaders;notforceremonialspeeches,butforcoordinatedaction.

ThecompositionoftheleadershipandmembershipoftheGovernanceBoards,withprominentandenlightenedfiguresdrawnfromamultidisciplinarybackground,givesitthegravitasrequiredtofulfilitsloftygoals.

TheirinterventionisintendedtoanchortheFoundation’soperationsbasedonsoundprinciplesoftransparency,professionalism,andinclusivity.

OneofBDF’searlyprioritiesistobuildtrustandearnthebuy-inofthepeopleitseekstoserve.Todothis,theFoundationisfocusedonstrengtheningitsgovernancearchitecture,attractingbothdomesticandinternationalresources,andexecutingcatalyticprogrammesdesignedtodelivervisible,meaningfulimpact.Theseearlywinswillnotonlyimprovelives—theywilllaythegroundworkforlong-termcredibilityandcommunitybuy-in.

PartofitsimmediategoalsincludetheestablishmentofaKnowledgeandResourceCentretosupportdata-driveninterventions,theonboardingofvettedimplementingpartners,andthedesignofcommunityengagementmechanismsthatwillensurecitizenparticipationindevelopmentinitiatives.Thisisverykey.

Hayatu-Deenconcludedonahighnote:

“Aswemoveforward,theBDFwillcontinuetoseekpartnershipswithcrediblelocalandinternationalactors,recognisingthatnosingleinstitutioncanmeetthescaleoftheneedsalone.Byaggregatingresources,expertise,andgoodwill,theFoundationaimstoactasacatalystforabroadermovementofrenewal;onethatplacesthepeopleofBornoatthecenteroftheirowndevelopmentstory,andthisalliancebetweenBDFandNESGofferssomethingunusuallygroundedapartnershiprootedinprinciple,guidedbylocalvision,andshapedbyinstitutionalmemory.”

Hecouldnothaveputitbetter.

ButImustadmitthatitwouldneverbestrollintheparktomakethiswork.Therewillbebumpsalongtheroadandtherewillbechallenges.NottheleastisthetreacherousterrainthatthatpartofNigeriatypifies.Thentheintentionmustnotbeseentobeahonestone,itmustalsobeknownandbelievedtobehonestsoastobuyintheconfidenceofthepeople.That’stheonlywayBDFcanrewritethehistoryofBorno.Itisdoable.

Hausawa wrote in from Abuja