The North-East Governors’ Forum (NEGF) has closed ranks to collectively pursue power supply in the region instate of leaving each state to handle the development of the energy sector independently as practiced in the past.
The Forum further demands member states to take full advantage of the new electricity law and the region’s abundant sunshine to expand solar and mini-grid technologies.
These positions were contained in an eleven-point communiqué issued on Saturday at the end of the 13th meeting of the Forum in Maiduguri Borno State.
The communiqué, signed by the chairman of the Forum and Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, and presented by the Vice Chairman Adamawa State Governor, Alhaji Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, the
Governors noted that the Dadinkowa hydropower plant in Gombe State now feeds the national grid.
describing the drvopment as one of the results of their joint efforts to provide power and energise the sub-region.
The Forum restated its long-standing concern over what it called the seeming neglect of the Mambila hydropower plant in Taraba State, urging the Federal Government to use the recent arbitration ruling, which cleared the project’s legal encumbrance, to speed up the plant’s completion and take-off.
The Forum agreed to partner with Green Ville Energy to build more Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) stations across the region to cut transport costs.
The Governors also thanked the Federal Government, through the North East Development Commission (NEDC), for providing 10,000 electric tricycles, 10 electric buses and 300 electric taxis, which are expected to be launched later this month to ease the burden of transportation in the region
They also resolved to set up a North-East regional air shuttle to make it faster and easier to move people and goods within the region and to other parts of the country.
The Forum commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for paying renewed attention to the PortHarcourt–Jos–Bauchi–Gombe Maiduguri rail corridor, the Akwanga–Jos–Gombe–Biu–Maiduguri highway, and frontier oil exploration at Kolmani.
The Forum called on the Federal Government to revisit oil exploration activities that began but later stalled in Magumeri and Gubio Local Government Areas of Borno State.
On security, the governors acknowledged the appreciable success recorded against insurgency, commending the courage and sacrifice of the Armed Forces and other security Agencies.
The Forum noted that the North-East has one of the youngest population in the country and expressed recommitment for providing young people with quality education, vocational and entrepreneurial skills, technology, and meaningful jobs.
On the environment, the Forum frowned at the extent of damage caused by deforestation and resolved to partner with the Forestry Research Institute to train forest experts in the region.
The meeting was attended by Governor Zulum of Borno State Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri of Adamawa State and Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State, Bauchi and Yobe States were represented by their Deputy Governors, Rt. Hon. Mohammed Auwal Jatau, and Alhaji Idi Barde Gubana and the Deputy Governor of Borno State, Umar Usman Kadafur.
Since its inaugural meeting in Gombe in March 2020, the Forum said its greatest achievement has been the unity of its members’ noting that this unity has given the region a collective voice delivering real infrastructural development.
The 14th meeting of the Forum is scheduled to hold in Gombe on December 18th, and 19th, 2026.
