The Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF), in a joint meeting with the Northern Traditional Rulers’ Council, has approved the establishment of a Regional Security Trust Fund to provide sustainable financing for security operations across the North.
The decision was reached on Monday, December 1, 2025, during a session held at the Sir Kashim Ibrahim House in Kaduna. Under the arrangement, each of the 19 Northern states will contribute ₦1 billion monthly, with deductions to be made at source according to a framework to be finalised by all stakeholders.
In a communiqué issued after the meeting, the forum’s chairman and Governor of Gombe State, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, CON, said the initiative is designed to strengthen security agencies, enhance intelligence gathering, support technology-driven policing and improve rapid response in frontline communities.
A statement by Yahaya’s media aide, Isma’ila Uba Misilli, described the resolution as one of the boldest collective steps taken by Northern leaders to confront the region’s escalating security crises.
The forum extended condolences to the governments and people of Kebbi, Kwara, Kogi, Niger, Sokoto, Jigawa and Kano states over recent killings and mass abductions, as well as to victims of renewed Boko Haram attacks in Borno and Yobe states.
The governors also commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the prompt measures taken to secure the release of abducted schoolchildren and for ongoing counterinsurgency operations nationwide.
Reaffirming their long-held position, the governors restated their full support for the establishment of State Police, urging federal and state lawmakers from the region to fast-track all necessary processes.
The forum further expressed concern over the role of illegal mining in exacerbating insecurity and resolved to recommend that President Tinubu direct the Minister of Solid Minerals to suspend all mining activities for six months. The pause, they said, would enable a comprehensive audit and revalidation of mining licences in collaboration with state governments.
The Northern governors and traditional rulers underscored the need for unity, cooperation and collective responsibility in addressing the region’s complex challenges. They pledged continued partnership with security agencies, royal institutions and local communities to restore peace and stability.
