Advancing Stability in Northern Nigeria
A Strategic Conversation with Nigeria’s Governors
On April 23, USIP hosted a critical and timely discussion with ten northern Nigerian governors on the frontlines of the country's most pressing challenges. The conversation explored Nigeria's prospects for peace, what Nigerian citizens and leaders can do to manage tensions or violence, the most important issues for the state governors, and how stability in northern Nigeria can contribute to progress and prosperity for the country.
Last month’s wave of mass kidnappings in Nigeria, which grabbed international attention, underscore how violent extremism and organized crime is fueling insecurity in Nigeria’s north, compounding efforts to address the country’s worst economic crisis in decades and threatening progress made in its democratic development. As the country’s most populous democracy and largest economy, Nigeria's stability is crucial not just for its citizens but also for ensuring peace and security throughout the region. Currently, regional stability faces significant threats from increasing extremist violence and a series of coups in the Sahel, alongside rising anti-democratic trends in coastal West Africa. Home to the ECOWAS headquarters and strategically positioned at the crossroads of the Sahel and the Gulf of Guinea, Nigeria is central to efforts in maintaining and promoting regional stability.
Nigeria’s federal system gives governors great responsibilities in addressing the issues driving the country’s multiple conflicts, including farmer-herder violence, inter-communal conflicts, organized crime groups (known as bandits) and the Boko Haram insurgency. This discussion with governors from Katsina, Zamfara, Kaduna, Niger, Sokoto, Kebbi, Jigawa, Kano, and Plateau states is a unique opportunity to hear directly from key leaders instrumental to Nigeria’s future, building on conversations USIP hosted with Nigeria’s governors in 2014 and 2016.
Speakers
Ambassador Johnnie Carson, moderator
Senior Advisor, Africa Center, U.S. Institute of Peace
The Honorable Dikko Umar Radda
Governor of Katsina State
The Honorable Dauda Lawal
Governor of Zamfara State
The Honorable Uba Sani
Governor of Kaduna State
The Honorable Mohammed Umar Bago
Governor of Niger State
The Honorable Nasir Idris
Governor of Kebbi State
The Honorable Mallam Umar
Governor of Jigawa State
The Honorable Abba Kabir Yusuf
Governor of Kano State
The Honorable Caleb Mutfwang
Governor of Plateau State
The Honorable Hyacinth Iormem Alia
Governor of Benue State
The Honorable Mohammed Idris Gobir
Deputy Governor of Sokoto State
