From Muhammad Ahmadu Saka, in Bauchi
The Arewa Dignity Advancement
initiative (ArDA), a non-governmental and non-political organisation has called for quick, innovative solutions and urgent action as the hard times faced by the average Northern Nigerian citizen were becoming unbearable.
A statement signed by Hajiya Baheejah Mahmood, the Chairperson, ArDA and Abubakar Muhammad, General Secretary, ArDA distributed to reporters in Bauchi, listed inflation, unemployment, and rapid deterioration in the standard of living, coupled with incidents of insurgency, terrorism and banditry as some of the evils faced by Nigerians.
The statement reads in part: “With grave concern, the body regrets and decries the continuing deterioration or escalation in the spate of insecurity-related incidents in all the three geopolitical zones under which the northern states are grouped.
While calling on Nigerians to pray for divine intervention, the group warned that Nigeria is gradually drifting into chaos as a result of the fuel subsidy removal.
ArDA also blamed the hardship on the continued acquiring of debt, introduction of taxes and levies by the Federal Government.
“ArDA is deeply concerned that while the Federal Government continues the heavy borrowing and invests trillions in projects that largely benefit one region, core sectors sustaining most Nigerians—especially agriculture in the North—are being ignored or weakened.
“At the same time, citizens are taxed aggressively without strategic redistribution, inclusive planning, or cushioning programmes. This has increased hardship, distorted markets, weakened food production,
deepened inequality and eroded democratic dividends”
ArDA sends strong and urgent alerts to the Federal Government and the leadership of the 19 Northern States and the FCT.
“Northern Nigeria is facing a dangerous mix of economic manipulation, agricultural decline, rising insecurity, social dislocation, and deliberate marginalisation.”
“These unfolding trends are not accidental; they reflect policy decisions, economic mismanagement, and governance failures that are pushing the region toward unprecedented hardship. Though the situation is serious, ArDA affirms it is fully surmountable—with genuine political will at both federal and state levels”.
The group urged Nigerians to rally around the Federal Government and State Governments in prayers for divine intervention on the current economic hardship , insecurity and underdevelopment in the region.
The northern body cautioned government officials against recklessness in spending public funds.
“These problems reflect the region’s cascading political, social, and economic challenges, ArDA expressed that the emergent protracted dimension of these problems, if untamed, are harbingers of citizens’ discontent, and social chaos.
“Equally worrisome is the widening regional disparities in social demographic factors, such as access to education, health, public infrastructure, economic inclusion, political participation, living conditions, and many others .
“Governments must move to curb such disparities to ensure that Nigeria does not become two-states-in-one.
“Factors that unify rather than divide citizens along any lines should attract the attention of all concerned, government and citizens alike.”
It called for definitive action by governments at all levels to confront what it termed a rapid decline in the living conditions of citizens in northern Nigeria.
“The addition of new taxes and levies is becoming increasingly burdensome and too heavy to bear for ordinary Nigerians.
“The need for a rollout of public policy programmes and projects aimed at addressing low purchasing power challenges is clearly indicated in the statement ”
The statement said “On the national front and specifically applicable to the northern states, ArDA notes that the times continue to be tough and challenging for the average citizen who is daily confronted with runaway inflation, poverty, unemployment, rapid deterioration in standards of living in the face of incidents of insurgency, terrorism and banditry, unable to go to farm etc., problems that have remained dire, acute (or even chronic in some places in the North in particular.
“The immediate causes of the problems have been policies put in place by the government over the past months, including but not confined to removal of subsidies from the prices of petroleum products, floating of the Naira, and astronomical hike in the cost of poorly supplied electricity, increasing tariffs and taxes against the seemingly insensitive profligacy in spendings by public officials, to list a few.
ArDA said “it is undeniable, perhaps due to the quantum and widening dimension of the problems, that public policy response to the problems remains weak and ineffective at best.”
It called on citizens to rally around the government and offer prayers for God’s intervention in the various tribulations, for the country to translate into a new, prosperous Nigeria where justice, equity, love, righteousness and hope would replace the current despair and hopelessness.
ArDA stands with the 19 Northern States and the FCT and remains committed to defending dignity,
promoting unity, empowering youth and women, supporting farmers,
strengthening traditional institutions,
advocating for justice, and advancing sustainable development.
The North can rise again—with the right leadership, policies, and priorities.”
