Northern elders host maiden investment summit
The Northern Elders Forum (NED) has announced plans to host the maiden edition of the Northern Nigeria Investment and Industrialisation Summit, aimed at tackling insecurity, underinvestment and other challenges slowing the region’s growth The summit, scheduled for September 29 and 30, 2025, will be held in collaboration with the 19 northern states and the New […]
The Northern Elders Forum (NED) has announced plans to host the maiden edition of the Northern Nigeria Investment and Industrialisation Summit, aimed at tackling insecurity, underinvestment and other challenges slowing the region’s growth
The summit, scheduled for September 29 and 30, 2025, will be held in collaboration with the 19 northern states and the New Nigeria Development Company (NNDC).
Spokesperson of the Forum, Prof. Abubakar Jika Jiddere, made the revelation during an international press conference in Abuja, adding that the event had been conceived for over 18 months.
According to him, the summit would “launch a deliberate patriotic agenda, designed to strengthen the region’s development efforts and open new doors of opportunity.”
Jiddere described the gathering as “not just another conference” but “the unveiling of a fresh vision, an economic call to action, an appeal to conscience, and a strategic plan to unlock the promise of Northern Nigeria.”
He stressed that the focus was not political but strictly economic—built on opportunities, prosperity and partnerships.
“The summit will spotlight the region’s vast resources, including arable land, untapped minerals, a youthful population, and infrastructure potential such as roads, railways, dams and energy,” he said
He added, “Northern Nigeria is land-linked, a strategic gateway to Niger, Chad, Cameroon, Benin, Mali and the Central African Republic,” adding that its 160 million people represented “an opportunity, not a burden which is why the summit is aimed at harnessing the region’s potentials.
He questioned why a region that produced global leaders such as Alhaji Aliko Dangote and Amina Mohammed had not fully showcased its economic strength.
“This summit is not for Northern Nigeria alone. It is for Nigeria, Africa, and all global partners who believe in shared prosperity,” he said.