President of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has linked the North’s slow economic growth and worsening insecurity to decades of policy inconsistency and chronic power shortages, warning that the region risks deeper crises unless leaders urgently reset its development trajectory.
Speaking at the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) Silver Jubilee Dinner and Award Night in Kaduna, Dangote said historical efforts to industrialise the North collapsed largely because government policies shifted abruptly, frustrating long-term investments and draining investor confidence.
He recalled how, years earlier, his group commissioned Arthur Andersen, now part of KPMG, to investigate why several promising northern industrialists, including leading textile operators, failed despite their brilliance and early success.
The findings, he said, pointed squarely at unstable government policies.
“Imagine you are about to score a goal and someone suddenly tells you the goalpost is behind your back. That is how unpredictable government policy has been,” he said, stressing that the uncertainty crippled multiple northern industries that could have anchored economic growth.
The second major challenge, he noted, was the persistent lack of electricity. According to him, the Dangote Group deliberately avoids connecting any of its Nigerian plants to the national grid because the supply is unreliable and insufficient for industrial-scale operations.
“The only two countries where we connect to public power are South Africa and Ethiopia. Without electricity, you cannot have growth, no matter how hard you try,” he said, adding that power failure remains one of the biggest obstacles to reviving northern manufacturing.
Dangote explained that industrialisation has become even tougher due to escalating interest rates and the high cost of capital. He said manufacturing in Nigeria is nearly impossible without substantial personal financing, which further limits the entry of new industrial players.
He urged northern political leaders to develop a coherent, long-term economic framework built on three pillars, education, industry and agriculture, aligning with the transformation blueprint earlier articulated by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
Dangote said the North has both the land and the population to become the food hub of West Africa, but is currently far from realising that potential due to poor planning and lack of sustained investment in agriculture.
He warned that today’s insecurity, including banditry, youth unemployment and economic displacement, is a direct consequence of years of neglect in critical sectors. “All the issues we are facing today would not be happening if we had done the right things. Every one of us shares the blame, myself included,” he said.
The business mogul stressed that the region must prioritise industrial growth if it hopes to curb insecurity and create jobs. He urged leaders across political and economic lines to confront the region’s challenges collectively.
Dangote added that while the ACF’s 25th anniversary is worth celebrating, the moment should serve as a sober reminder that the region stands at a crossroads. He said northern leaders must urgently come together to chart a new course that guarantees economic survival and long-term security.
He concluded with a stark warning: “If we don’t resolve these issues, they will consume every one of us, whether we are guilty or not.”
Credit: thenationonlineng.net
