From Sola Ojo, Abuja
Senator who represented Kaduna Central in the 8th Senate, Shehu Sani, has attributed the poverty and insecurity plaguing Northern Nigeria to the region’s poor education.
Sani emphasized that if the people responsible for insecurity in the North had been educated three decades ago, the region would not be facing its current challenges.
Sani stated this during the “Kaduna Girl Child Conference and Award ceremony” organised by a group called The Creative Think Tank in Kaduna on Saturday.
He advocated for education as the key to empowering individuals, liberating them, and energising society, ultimately leading to peace and security.
Sani also highlighted the North’s vast resources, including arable land, mineral deposits, and rivers, but noted that despite these resources, the region remains poor due to a lack of proper leadership and inadequate exploration of its resources.
“Northern Nigeria is lagging behind the South because of the poor education of our people. If the people responsible for insecurity in the North were educated three decades ago, we wouldn’t have them today picking up arms and killing and kidnapping people for ransom.
“That was why I said that one of the plans we need in Northern Nigeria is how we can educate our people, at least to the level of literacy. When people are educated, they are empowered, liberated, and energised; society is secured, and peace is guaranteed.
“But when you have illiteracy, you have poverty. When you have poverty, you have insecurity. These are the fundamental issues we are facing as a country today.
“Mind you, the northern part of Nigeria has what a nation needs to survive. We have 95 percent arable land and 60 percent land mass. There is no state in the North today without deposited mineral resources—lithium, gold, and uranium, among others.
“Out of 235 Nigerian rivers, two-thirds are located in the northern part of Nigeria. Unfortunately, with all this wealth that surrounds the North, there is a serious disconnect between this wealth and the standard of living of our people,” he decried.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Think Tank group, Olivera Idahosa, disclosed that his organisation will be empowering 200 girls in 2025.
According to Olivera, the girl child is more vulnerable in society, which is why his organisation is putting more emphasis on providing solutions to those threats and challenges that they face.
“Today we are celebrating our girls in line with the United Nations declaration. We want to see our girls flourishing in all they do in a safe environment.
“It is also an opportunity to honour individuals who have contributed meaningfully in advocating girls’ rights.
“In 2025, we are also looking at how we can empower about 200 girls, so by this time next year, they will be celebrated,” he said.