In a candid appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, former Special Adviser on Political Affairs to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, issued a firm call for the federal government to urgently address the deepening socio-economic crisis in Northern Nigeria. Speaking as a respected voice from the region, Baba-Ahmed highlighted the North’s growing disillusionment over worsening insecurity, rising unemployment, crippling poverty, and the scourge of drug abuse.
He warned that the region is no longer moved by campaign promises or ceremonial gestures. “The North wants real solutions, not tokenism,” he stated, underscoring a palpable sense of frustration that, according to him, has now reached a tipping point.
Baba-Ahmed lamented what he described as a growing sense of marginalization, asserting that the region feels abandoned in the face of mounting challenges. He recalled a recent meeting with the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), noting an unusual tone of urgency and resolve. While the Northern Elders Forum, to which he belongs, has always been vocal, the ACF — known for its cautious diplomacy — reportedly echoed similar concerns with rare bluntness.
“There’s a shift in the mood,” he said. “The North is no longer pleading. It is demanding change. Citizens are tired of hearing lofty plans with no action. They want visible results — and they want them now.”
Baba-Ahmed’s comments come amid growing scrutiny of President Tinubu’s national security and economic policies, particularly as hardship deepens in Northern communities.