The North has the people and the resources to build a thriving economy, but much of the wealth generated by its elite is being invested outside the region, former Vice-Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Prof Daniel Iyorkegh Saror, has said
Saror, who spoke on Reminiscences, a Trust TV programme, specifically pointed to the South, where he said wealthy northerners make good money but fail to channel sufficient investments back home to create employment
His comment is coming against the backdrop of the enormous scale of northern-origin business capital deployed outside the region
Some of the investments are also located in some parts of the North, North Central and other parts of the country
But Saror said, “Even rich northerners are not investing in the North They are making good money, but it is in the South. They are not providing employment here”.
The consequences, he noted, are visible in the economic landscape of the region
He said government remains a dominant source of employment while private industries capable of absorbing the growing population remain scarce
He illustrated the disparity with a journey through the North, saying a drive from Sokoto to Adamawa reveals how little industrial activity exists along the route despite the size of the population
“If you go from Sokoto to Adamawa by road you will not find companies along the way; yet we have the population,” he said
The situation, he noted, contrasts sharply with what he sees along the Lagos-Ogun axis, where industries have created opportunities for people to work and earn a living
“Drive between Lagos and Ogun State and see the industries I mean that people are engaged,” Saror said.
He also questioned the situation in his home state, Benue
The former VC asked: “Here in Benue State, where are the places of employment We have only government.”
He linked the shortage of private-sector opportunities to the intense attraction of politics among young and old people
“So everybody wants to be a politician – young and old,” the former senator said
Saror argued that reversing the trend requires the North to invest directly in its large population, particularly through agriculture, education, healthcare and productive enterprises
He said the region’s development challenge could not be addressed by the government alone if wealthy individuals continued to make their fortunes elsewhere without building businesses and employment opportunities at home
The former ABU vice-chancellor also identified the growing influence of ethnic and religious considerations in the North as another obstacle to development
“You don’t see people based on what they are and what they can contribute; it is what they worship and tribe That’s why the North is where it is – underdeveloped,” he said.
He further expressed concern over banditry in parts of the North-West
According to him, insecurity had made rural life increasingly difficult and further undermined economic activity
Saror, who spent most of his working life at ABU Zaria before serving as vice-chancellor and later as a senator, said the North still had enormous potential if its human and material resources were deliberately converted into productive economic activity
“We need to do something We need to be our brothers’ keepers,” he said.
His comments come against the background of renewed efforts to promote investment and industrial development in northern Nigeria
Agriculture remains a major economic base in the region and investors have identified opportunities around processing, logistics and other parts of the agricultural value chain
In Benue, recent efforts have focused on processing agricultural produce locally rather than exporting raw materials
The state government highlighted factories and agro-processing as part of its economic strategy