20/02/2026
FUTURE OF THE YOUTH IN NORTHERN NIGERIA- A CALL FOR URGENT ACTION TO MR PRESIDENT
Following recent remarks by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, upon signing of the Electoral Act Bill 2026, particularly his appeal for forgiveness, the Arewa Youth for Unity and Development Forum finds it necessary to speak with clarity, responsibility, and patriotism on the subject.
Respectfully, we commend Mr. President for demonstrating humility and sense of responsibility of the moment of Nigeria’s trajectory. Leadership requires the courage to listen and the willingness to deeply reflect. However, beyond words, Nigerians especially the youths of Arewa are seeking visible and decisive action, particularly on insecurity and genuine grassroots inclusion.
Today, we face a painful reality. Young boys as young as 12 to 17 are seen on social media brandishing sophisticated weapons, engaging in banditry, kidnapping and violent crimes without fear. This is not merely a security lapse; it is a deep social and developmental crisis. The majority of Arewa youths are hardworking and peace-loving, yet our region continues to be defined by the actions of a dangerous minority, many of whom were recruited from neglected rural communities.
While the current administration continues to emphasize youth inclusion alongside the Renewed Hope agenda for Nigerians, there is a growing concern that many of these engagements are concentrated in major urban centers such as Abuja, Lagos, Kano and Kaduna, often among politically connected or economically comfortable youth circles. Meanwhile, the real crisis festers in the grassroots, where unemployment, illiteracy, frustration, insecurity and ignorance create fertile ground for criminal mass recruitment.
Youth policies that do not reach across villages and remote rural areas are incomplete. A movement that does not transform rural communities cannot solve insecurity problem bedeviling the region. If systems can swiftly identify online critics, then surely the same capacity can be deployed more aggressively to dismantle criminal networks that openly terrorize innocent citizens.
It is on this note that the Forum respectfully calls on Mr. President to, as a matter of necessity, ensure that extensive security reforms, economic empowerment programs and youth engagement initiatives pe*****te deeply into grassroot communities. Intelligence and surveillance operations by Security Agencies should be strengthened. Development should follow security and opportunities replace desperation and despair in the land.
The Forum also urges Mr. President to critically examine available feedback channels within his advisory circle. It should be noted that the image presented by elite environments may not actually reflect the reality of rural youth survival who feel abandoned and totally neglected. Strong leadership must be guided by unfiltered truth.
Mr. President has long been known as “Jagaban” a strategist and mobilizer. We believe that thesame strategic strength must now be focused on rescuing the grassroots youth, restoring security and rebuilding trust across every region.
We remain committed to One Nigeria. Nigeria remains a nation built not on selective prosperity, but on inclusive development, accountability and equal opportunities from the bustling cities to the remotest villages.
To the Arewa Youths: Reject criminality in whatever form and embrace constructive engagement with relevant authorities.
To Mr. President: Act decisively so that every Nigerian youth, especially at the grassroots, feels seen, protected and empowered, especially in the Northern region.
Hafsat Babajo
Chairman - Founder
AYUDF
