By Segun Adewale in Gombe
Chairman of the Northern Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NNGF) and Governor of Gombe State, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, CON, has inaugurated the Board of Trustees of the Northern Nigeria Security Trust Fund (NNSTF) as part of a decisive regional response to the worsening security challenges confronting the North.
The inauguration, held Wednesday, 8 July, 2026, during the meeting of the Northern Governors’ Forum in Kaduna, marked the formal take-off of the Trust Fund established by the 19 Northern Governors to mobilise sustainable resources, strengthen intelligence sharing, enhance security coordination and complement the efforts of the Federal Government in combating insecurity across the region.
The Board is co-chaired by former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Alhaji Mahmoud Yayale Ahmed and former Chief of Defence Staff, General Martin Luther Agwai (rtd).
Its membership comprises eminent retired military officers, senior police officers, security experts, technocrats and public servants drawn from the 19 Northern states.
Among those inaugurated are former Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Umar Farouk Yahaya (rtd); former Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba (rtd); former Senator and Air Vice Marshal Napoleon Bali (rtd); former SGF Boss Mustapha; Prof. Usman Tar; DIG Hafiz Mohd Inuwa (rtd); AIG Sunday Babaji (rtd); DIG Sani Usman Mohammed (rtd), alongside other distinguished Nigerians nominated by their respective states.
Addressing the meeting, Governor Inuwa Yahaya said the establishment of the Trust Fund is part of the collective resolve of Northern governors to confront terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other forms of criminality threatening peace, livelihoods and development across the region.
He explained that while the Federal Government retains the constitutional responsibility for national security, the complexity of the challenges demanded stronger regional collaboration to support security agencies through intelligence gathering, resource mobilisation and coordinated interventions.
“The security crisis in Northern Nigeria requires prompt, coordinated and decisive measures.
The Northern Nigeria Security Trust Fund is conceived as a practical mechanism to mobilise resources, strengthen intelligence collaboration and complement the efforts of the Federal Government and its security agencies in securing our people and communities,” the Governor stated.
Governor Inuwa Yahaya charged the newly inaugurated Board to ensure the Trust Fund remains transparent, accountable and result-oriented, stressing that it must not become another bureaucratic institution but a credible platform capable of delivering measurable improvements in security coordination and the protection of lives and property.
“Our people are not looking for another institution; they are looking for action, protection, stability and hope. The success of this Fund will be measured by the extent to which it improves security coordination, intelligence sharing, rapid response and the overall safety of our people,” he said.
The NNGF Chairman also urged his fellow governors to promptly fulfil the Forum’s resolution requiring each Northern state and its local governments to contribute N1 billion monthly for twelve months to guarantee sustainable funding for the NNSTF.
While commending states that had already begun redeeming their commitments, he stressed that the responsibility of securing the region could not be left to a few states alone.
“The task before us is too urgent and too important to be left to a few states. I therefore call strongly and respectfully on all my brother governors to redeem their pledges promptly and consistently,” he appealed.
Governor Inuwa Yahaya reaffirmed the Forum’s support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s security reforms, including ongoing discussions on state policing, while maintaining that the Trust Fund would complement, not replace the existing national security architecture.
He equally emphasised the need to address the underlying causes of insecurity through sustained investments in education, agriculture, youth empowerment, job creation and skills acquisition, saying military operations alone could not deliver lasting peace.
The Governor also called on traditional rulers, religious leaders, the private sector, development partners and civil society organisations to support the initiative, noting that security remains a collective responsibility.
Earlier, the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, commended Governor Inuwa Yahaya for providing purposeful leadership as Chairman of the Northern Governors’ Forum, describing his ability to unite governors across political divides as critical to advancing collective solutions to the region’s challenges.
The inauguration of the Northern Nigeria Security Trust Fund Board of is a major milestone in the North ‘s renewed efforts to build a sustainable, home-grown institutional framework for tackling insecurity and restoring peace, stability and economic prosperity across Northern Nigeria.
Similarly, Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, praised the Gombe Governor’s inclusive and consensus-driven leadership, noting noted his rallying posture had strengthened cooperation among Northern governors and inspired renewed commitment to addressing the region’s security and developmental concerns through collective action.
