North-West Governors Demand Power Shift, Revenue Overhaul in Bold Reform Push

According to iReporter Online, governors from Nigeria’s North-West region have launched a coordinated push for constitutional reforms, calling for deeper fiscal federalism, greater autonomy for subnational governments, and a revenue allocation formula that fairly reflects regional burdens and demographic realities.

The North-West Governors’ Forum, under the leadership of Katsina State Governor, Dikko Radda, convened a high-level technical session in Abuja to consolidate regional positions ahead of Nigeria’s anticipated constitutional amendment. Represented by Kaduna State’s Deputy Governor, Dr. Hadiza Balarabe, Governor Radda highlighted the pressing need for a review of the 1999 Constitution to address evolving national challenges and empower states with the tools to better serve their people.

In her keynote remarks, Dr. Balarabe emphasized the urgency of addressing structural and developmental issues plaguing the region, including persistent insecurity, youth unemployment, infrastructure deficits, agricultural underdevelopment, widespread drug abuse, and the decline of traditional institutions. She described the constitutional review process as a pivotal moment to redefine governance in a way that acknowledges these challenges and prioritizes solutions tailored to the region’s context.

The forum identified several priority areas for reform, chief among them the restructuring of Nigeria’s security framework to allow for state policing, and the implementation of a revenue-sharing model that accounts for the social and economic pressures unique to the North-West. Balarabe noted that the region has absorbed a disproportionate number of internally displaced persons as a result of terrorism, banditry, and intercommunal conflicts — a burden that current fiscal formulas fail to accommodate.

She called for a unified front in pursuing these reforms, urging the participating states to act as a collective rather than isolated entities. The technical session was designed to harmonize inputs from across the region, following months of consultations with state assemblies, civil society organizations, and traditional leaders.

The Director-General of the North-West Governors’ Forum, Maryam Musa, described the meeting as the culmination of a rigorous and inclusive process. She said each state delegation was tasked with presenting its findings and resolutions, which would be synthesized into a single draft: The North-West Common Position on Constitutional Reform. This document will be submitted to the governors for final review before a consolidated position is made public.

Musa commended the expertise and commitment of participants, stressing that the task before them was not only administrative but historical. She urged delegates to produce a proposal that reflects both the wisdom and urgency of the moment.

Present at the session were leading legal scholars, including Senior Advocate of Nigeria Professor Muhammad Tabiu and Professor Mohammed Taufiq Ladan, as well as top judicial and legislative officials from the region. The North-West Governors’ Forum comprises the states of Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Jigawa, Sokoto, and Zamfara.