Northern Governors Approve ₦1bn Monthly Security Pool, Push for Six-Month Halt on Mining
Story: Written by Daniel December 2,2025
Northern governors have agreed to establish a regional security trust fund that will receive a total of ₦1 billion monthly from the 19 northern states and their local governments, as part of a renewed effort to address escalating insecurity in the region
The decision was announced in a communiqué released after a joint session between the Northern States Governors’ Forum and the Northern Traditional Rulers’ Council. The fund, which will be deducted at source, is expected to strengthen the fight against banditry, terrorism and widespread kidnappings.
Forum Chairman and Governor of Gombe State, Inuwa Yahaya, said the monthly deductions would operate under a unified framework to be finalised soon.
The governors also appealed to President Bola Tinubu to impose a six-month moratorium on all mining activities in northern Nigeria, noting that illegal mining has become a major driver of insecurity. They alleged that criminal groups receive financial support from artisanal miners and their sponsors.
They further recommended a comprehensive audit and verification of all mining licences during the suspension, in collaboration with state governments, to dismantle illegal mining operations and cut off funding sources for armed groups.
The forum commended President Tinubu for efforts leading to the recent rescue of abducted schoolchildren and praised security agencies for their continued sacrifices in combating insurgent
Reiterating their support for state policing, the governors urged northern federal lawmakers and state assemblies to fast-track the constitutional changes required to establish decentralised police forces.
