• Home
  • Anti-Corruption
  • Fact-Check
  • Economy
  • National
    • Government
  • Security
  • Features
  • State
  • Event
    • PR Nigeria Award
  • E-Paper
Search
  • Home
  • About
  • Adverts
  • Contact
Sign in
Welcome! Log into your account
Forgot your password? Get help
Password recovery
Recover your password
A password will be e-mailed to you.
PRNIGERIA PRNigeria News
PRNIGERIA PRNIGERIA
  • Home
  • Anti-Corruption
    • ICPC Secures Conviction of Rector for Running Unaccredited Degree Programmes

      Engr Abba Babagana Dalori

      Engr Dalori Forfeits Galaxy Hospital, Petrol Station, Properties & Cash

      Chinese nationals jailed in Lagos

      Court Jails Nine Chinese Nationals for Cybercrime in Lagos

      ASUU

      Tackle Corruption, Institutional Decay – ASUU Charges FG

      EFCC Arraigns Bauchi Accountant General Over N8bn Fraud as Court Sentences…

  • Fact-Check
  • Economy
    • Customs Gets 4 New Deputy Comptrollers-General, 12 ACGs, Promotes 3,312 Officers

      DG NITDA Inuwa Kashifu at the GITEX Nigeria

      Sanwo-Olu, Tijani, Kashifu Urge Digital Innovation as GITEX Nigeria Opens

      Members of National Regional Development

      FG Inaugurates Boards, Management Teams of Three Regional Development Commissions

      Trade Facilitation: Nigeria Customs, NACCIMA Strengthen Partnership

      Economic Confidential to Host 3rd Public Lecture, Unveil Books on Nigeria’s…

  • National
    • JUST IN: Tinubu Reverses NTA Shake-Up, Recalls DG Salihu Dembos, Executive…

      VP Shettima, Health Minister Endorse Care365 Drive for Inclusive Healthcare

      Troops Neutralize Dozens of Terrorists, Arrest Logistics Suppliers in North-East Offensives

      President Tinubu and VP Shettima

      The Politics and Tinubu’s Wishes to Shettima

      Army Arrests Soldier for Arms Trafficking in Borno, Rescues Kidnap Victims…

    • Government
      • VP Shettima, Health Minister Endorse Care365 Drive for Inclusive Healthcare

        President Tinubu and VP Shettima

        The Politics and Tinubu’s Wishes to Shettima

        Vice President Kashim Shettima and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu

        Shettima at 59: Tinubu Hails VP’s Loyalty, Commitment to Service

        Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo

        Interior Ministry Launches Electronic Records System, Plans Mobile Offices

        Senator Shehu Umar Buba

        Security: Why I’m pushing for official adoption of non-kinetic approach—Senator Buba

  • Security
    • Troops Neutralize Dozens of Terrorists, Arrest Logistics Suppliers in North-East Offensives

      Police Officer

      Police Neutralize Armed Robber on Zaria-Kano Highway, Arrest Notorious Suspect

      The rescued abducted women and children

      Troops Eliminate Terrorists, Rescue 9 Abducted Women, Children in Sokoto, Zamfara

      Army Arrests Soldier for Arms Trafficking in Borno, Rescues Kidnap Victims…

      Gunrunners

      Katsina Police Intercept 2 Gunrunners, Seize, Firearms, Ammunition

  • Features
    • VIP Convoys and the Tragedy of Everyday Nigerians By Kabir…

      The Arrest of Ansaru Kingpins Mahmud Muhammad Usman aka Abu Bara’a, and Mahmud al-Nigeri aka Mallam Mamuda

      Nigeria’s Giant Leap Against Terrorism and the Fall of Ansaru Leaders,…

      Gen. Christopher Gwabin Musa CDS

      CDS Musa Launches Operation Enduring Peace, Tasks Troops to ‘Win Peace,…

      Almajiri

      TRAVELOGUE: Kaduna Almajiris and A Parley Inside Arewa Forum’s House By…

      Armed officers of the Mining Marshals

      ‎NSCDC at the Heart of Nigeria’s Mining Sector Revival ‎By Zekeri…

  • State
    • Police Officer

      Police Neutralize Armed Robber on Zaria-Kano Highway, Arrest Notorious Suspect

      The rescued abducted women and children

      Troops Eliminate Terrorists, Rescue 9 Abducted Women, Children in Sokoto, Zamfara

      Army Arrests Soldier for Arms Trafficking in Borno, Rescues Kidnap Victims…

      Gunrunners

      Katsina Police Intercept 2 Gunrunners, Seize, Firearms, Ammunition

      Military troops

      Military Eliminates 12 ISWAP Terrorists, Recover Weapons, Pharmaceutical Products in Borno

  • Event
    • Vice President Kashim Shettima and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu

      Shettima at 59: Tinubu Hails VP’s Loyalty, Commitment to Service

      Erasmus Ikhide damaged Vehicle and Dangote Cement Truck

      Erasmus Ikhide Narrowly Escapes Death in Collision with Dangote Truck

      Supporters of Senator Shehu Buba

      PHOTOS: Bauchi Constituents Rally APC to Draft Senator Buba for 2027…

      The authors and their books

      PHOTOS: NIPR Hails Latest PRNigeria Books at Economic Confidential Lecture

      Alh. Yushau Shuaib, Brig Gen. (rtd) Chris Olukolade and Mallam Kashifu Inuwa

      NITDA, IMPR Spotlight AI as Driver of Nigeria’s Digital Future at…

    • PR Nigeria Award
  • E-Paper
Home Features Nigeria’s North and its Leadership Mirage
  • Features
  • Government
  • National

Nigeria’s North and its Leadership Mirage

By
Usman Muhammad Salihu
-
March 29, 2025
Arewa/Northern Region

Nigeria’s North and its Leadership Mirage

Northern Nigeria stands at a defining moment in its history. Once the bastion of strong leadership and cultural resilience, the region is now plagued by a crisis of governance.

The distinction between “leaders of the North” and “leaders in the North” has never been more pronounced. Leaders of the North are those who carry the burden of the region’s progress on their shoulders, while leaders in the North are mere seat-fillers—occupants of political positions without a true sense of duty.

Unfortunately, today’s reality leans heavily towards the latter. The region is flooded with individuals who wear the titles of governors, senators, ministers, and traditional rulers, yet their leadership amounts to little more than self-interest, political survival, and personal ambition.

The result? Northern Nigeria remains stuck in a cycle of poverty, illiteracy, and insecurity, trailing behind the rest of the country on almost every developmental index.

Banditry, kidnapping, and insurgency have become rampant, turning villages into ghost towns and leaving countless families in mourning. Youth unemployment and economic hopelessness have skyrocketed, while education continues to suffer with millions of children out of school.

Rather than prioritizing sustainable policies, these so-called leaders dish out empty rhetoric, making grand promises while doing little to uplift the people they claim to serve.

Hunger has become a political tool—wielded not as a crisis to be solved, but as a mechanism of control. Those who once enjoyed three square meals now struggle to afford even one.

Yet, instead of confronting the root causes of poverty, many politicians prefer the optics of distributing bags of rice. They would rather keep the people hungry and dependent than invest in mechanized agriculture, industrialization, or skills development.

A well-fed, independent populace questions leadership. A starving one is easier to manipulate. Beyond economic woes, northern lives have become increasingly devalued—even beyond the region.

Read Also:

  • Customs Gets 4 New Deputy Comptrollers-General, 12 ACGs, Promotes 3,312 Officers
  • VIP Convoys and the Tragedy of Everyday Nigerians By Kabir Abdulsalam
  • JUST IN: Tinubu Reverses NTA Shake-Up, Recalls DG Salihu Dembos, Executive Director of News

The recent horrific killing of at least 16 northern travelers in Edo State is a chilling reminder of the dangers of mob justice and ethnic profiling. These victims—mostly Hausa hunters heading for Sallah festivities—were mistaken for kidnappers and brutally lynched.

Their truck was torched, their bodies consumed by fire in a scene reminiscent of a lawless state. Such tragedies expose the colossal failure of leadership at all levels.

A country with strong institutions and responsible governance would not permit the extrajudicial slaughter of innocent citizens. Figures like former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and activist Omoyele Sowore have rightly condemned the killings, while Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo has ordered investigations.

But the crucial question remains: Will justice be served? Or will this atrocity, like so many before it, fade into oblivion? Meanwhile, traditional institutions that once provided stability and moral guidance in the North have been hijacked by political interests.

The reckless creation of new emirates and first-class chiefdoms is no longer about strengthening governance—it is about settling scores, wielding influence, and fracturing the region further.

Northern Nigeria is rich in potential, yet without sincere leadership, it will remain shackled to poverty, insecurity, and stagnation. The people must awaken to their power—demanding accountability, choosing leaders based on competence rather than ethnicity, religion, or political patronage.

A true leader does not throw food at his people; he empowers them to produce their own. He does not buy votes with handouts; he builds an economy where citizens can thrive without begging.

The North needs statesmen who will champion food security, support industrial growth, and create jobs—not politicians who prey on hunger for electoral gain.

Above all, northern lives must matter—not just to those in power, but to the nation as a whole. If the cycle of mob justice and ethnic profiling continues unchecked, Nigeria risks deepening its fractures beyond repair.

Leadership is not about occupying an office—it is about securing justice, progress, and dignity for all. So, the question lingers: Will Northern Nigeria continue to be ruled by leaders in the North who exploit suffering, or will true leaders of the North emerge to break this cycle of failure?

The answer lies in the hands of the people.

Usman Muhammad Salihu is a PRNigeria Fellow.

VISIT OUR OTHER WEBSITES
PRNigeria.com EconomicConfidential.com PRNigeria.com/Hausa/
EmergencyDigest.com PoliticsDigest.ng TechDigest.ng
HealthDigest.ng SpokesPersonsdigest.com TeensDigest.ng
ArewaAgenda.com Hausa.ArewaAgenda.com YAShuaib.com
  • TAGS
  • Leadership
  • Northern Leaders
  • Northern Nigeria
Previous articleMoro Indigenes Decry Marginalization in Kwara and Federal Appointments
Next articleMuslim Community Protests as Another Mosque is Demolished in Aramoko Ekiti
Usman Muhammad Salihu
Usman Muhammad Salihu

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

VIP Convoys and the Tragedy of Everyday Nigerians By Kabir Abdulsalam

JUST IN: Tinubu Reverses NTA Shake-Up, Recalls DG Salihu Dembos, Executive Director of News

VP Shettima, Health Minister Endorse Care365 Drive for Inclusive Healthcare

Troops Neutralize Dozens of Terrorists, Arrest Logistics Suppliers in North-East Offensives

President Tinubu and VP Shettima

The Politics and Tinubu’s Wishes to Shettima

Army Arrests Soldier for Arms Trafficking in Borno, Rescues Kidnap Victims in Nationwide Operations

Vice President Kashim Shettima and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu

Shettima at 59: Tinubu Hails VP’s Loyalty, Commitment to Service

DG NITDA Inuwa Kashifu at the GITEX Nigeria

Sanwo-Olu, Tijani, Kashifu Urge Digital Innovation as GITEX Nigeria Opens

PRNigeria logo fearured image

Media, Civil Society Push for Stronger Role in Countering Violent Extremism

Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo

Interior Ministry Launches Electronic Records System, Plans Mobile Offices

A Group of Terrorists/Bandits

Birnin-Gwari Group Denies Paying Bandits in Peace Deal

Senator Shehu Umar Buba

Security: Why I’m pushing for official adoption of non-kinetic approach—Senator Buba

Recent Posts

  • Customs Gets 4 New Deputy Comptrollers-General, 12 ACGs, Promotes 3,312 Officers
  • VIP Convoys and the Tragedy of Everyday Nigerians By Kabir Abdulsalam
  • JUST IN: Tinubu Reverses NTA Shake-Up, Recalls DG Salihu Dembos, Executive Director of News
  • VP Shettima, Health Minister Endorse Care365 Drive for Inclusive Healthcare
  • Troops Neutralize Dozens of Terrorists, Arrest Logistics Suppliers in North-East Offensives
  • Home
  • About
  • Adverts
  • Contact
© 2020 PRNigeria. All Rights Reserved.
Latest News
Customs Gets 4 New Deputy Comptrollers-General, 12 ACGs, Promotes 3,312 OfficersVIP Convoys and the Tragedy of Everyday Nigerians By Kabir AbdulsalamJUST IN: Tinubu Reverses NTA Shake-Up, Recalls DG Salihu Dembos, Executive Director of NewsVP Shettima, Health Minister Endorse Care365 Drive for Inclusive HealthcareTroops Neutralize Dozens of Terrorists, Arrest Logistics Suppliers in North-East OffensivesThe Politics and Tinubu’s Wishes to ShettimaPolice Neutralize Armed Robber on Zaria-Kano Highway, Arrest Notorious SuspectTroops Eliminate Terrorists, Rescue 9 Abducted Women, Children in Sokoto, ZamfaraArmy Arrests Soldier for Arms Trafficking in Borno, Rescues Kidnap Victims in Nationwide OperationsShettima at 59: Tinubu Hails VP's Loyalty, Commitment to ServiceSanwo-Olu, Tijani, Kashifu Urge Digital Innovation as GITEX Nigeria OpensMedia, Civil Society Push for Stronger Role in Countering Violent ExtremismKatsina Police Intercept 2 Gunrunners, Seize, Firearms, AmmunitionMilitary Eliminates 12 ISWAP Terrorists, Recover Weapons, Pharmaceutical Products in BornoInterior Ministry Launches Electronic Records System, Plans Mobile Offices
X whatsapp