The Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF) has launched the Northern Nigeria Security Trust Fund (NNSTF), with each of the 19 northern states committing N1 billion monthly for one year to strengthen the fight against terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes across the region.
The initiative was unveiled on Wednesday in Kaduna during the Forum’s meeting and the inauguration of the Board of Trustees of the Northern Nigeria Security Trust Fund.
Chairman of the Forum and Governor of Gombe State, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, described the fund as a collective regional response to the worsening security situation, which he said continues to undermine economic growth, social stability and the livelihoods of millions of people in Northern Nigeria.
In a statement issued after the meeting, Yahaya lamented that terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, drug abuse and other criminal activities had slowed development and disrupted peaceful coexistence across the region.
He said the governors resolved to establish the trust fund to complement the Federal Government’s efforts in addressing insecurity through improved funding, intelligence sharing and strategic collaboration.
“It was in furtherance of this commitment that the Forum resolved to establish the Northern Nigeria Security Trust Fund,” Yahaya said.
According to him, the fund will serve as a platform for mobilising resources, enhancing intelligence gathering, strengthening coordination among security agencies and supporting efforts to safeguard lives and property.
He stressed that the trust fund must remain result-oriented and not become another bureaucratic institution.
“The Trust Fund is not intended to become another layer of bureaucracy. It must function as a focused, responsive and credible platform for resource mobilisation, strategic support, alignment and coordination with federal security agencies and other relevant institutions and stakeholders,” he said.
Yahaya disclosed that the governors, working with local governments, had agreed on the ₦1 billion monthly contribution and urged all participating states to fulfil their financial obligations.
He also maintained that military operations alone could not end insecurity, calling for sustained investment in education, agriculture, youth empowerment, skills acquisition and livelihood programmes to address the root causes of crime.
The Gombe governor further urged state governments to secure farming communities during the current planting season, prevent communal clashes and promote livestock transformation as part of broader efforts to strengthen security and economic development.
Also speaking, Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, renewed his call for the establishment of state police, arguing that Nigeria’s current policing structure is inadequate to effectively address the country’s security challenges.
“The establishment of State Police in Nigeria is not only a necessity but an urgent and strategic imperative,” Sani said.
He commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the National Assembly for advancing discussions on state policing, expressing optimism that the reform would significantly improve the nation’s security architecture.
The Sultan of Sokoto and Chairman of the Northern Traditional Rulers Council, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III, endorsed the initiative, describing the trust fund as a timely intervention.
The monarch pledged the support of traditional rulers across the region and urged governors to ensure adequate funding for the initiative to achieve its objectives.
He also advocated greater investment in education and cautioned against stereotyping out-of-school children as criminals, stressing the importance of human capital development in achieving lasting peace.
The meeting was attended by governors and deputy governors from the 19 northern states, security chiefs, including the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Oluwatosin Ajayi, as well as traditional rulers led by the Sultan of Sokoto.
The establishment of the Security Trust Fund comes amid growing concerns over persistent insecurity across Northern Nigeria, with the governors seeking stronger regional collaboration and sustainable funding to support security agencies and community-based interventions.
