Northern youths, under the aegis of Coalition of North Group, have decried the impact of the recent devaluation of the naira, inflation, petroleum subsidy removal, increase in electricity tariffs, and insecurity, among others, on the conditions of living in northern Nigeria.
Saying that the country “is no longer working”, the youths lamented that the failures of formal and informal institutions have over the years compounded the challenges.
“We don’t have the time to lament. All of us know that we are in a serious problem. Nigeria is no longer working. People are suffering. People can no longer afford even one square meal. We are not talking about the three square meals per day.
“Insecurity is walking with two legs in the northern part of the country.” President of the CNG, Jamilu Charanchi lamented on Saturday at a one-day community engagement programme organised by the CNG Katsina State chapter under the theme: “Imperative of Popular Participation in Tackling Socio-Economic Challenges Bedeviling Nigeria Through Community Solutions.”
Charanchi gave background on the informed decision for community engagement, saying the group has realised that leaders especially from the region are not ready to address the outlined problems, hence there was a need for them to take the bull by its horns in the contribution of the development of the region.
“Northern Nigeria, a region rich in cultural heritage, human and natural resources, holds significant potential for contributing to Nigeria development.
“Despite this, the region remains the least developed, grappling with drug abuse, youth restiveness, the collapse of social values, and high levels of poverty, unemployment, illiteracy, and insecurity, which translate socio-economic indices in relation to other regions.
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