‘Stop Endless Summits, Deliver Real Development’ — Sultan tells Northern Leaders

The Sultan of Sokoto and President General of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, SCIAN, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, has urged Northern leaders to move beyond rhetoric and take practical steps to revive industries, create jobs, and attract sustainable investments.

Speaking at the opening of the first International Business and Investment Summit in Bauchi, the Sultan said the region had held several economic summits in recent years without visible results.

“We have attended economic summits in Kaduna, Kano, Taraba, Abuja, and many others over the past decade. We have heard lofty speeches, signed MoUs, and made grand declarations. But where are the results? How many factories have we revived? How many youths have found jobs? How many investors who came to our summits actually stayed?” he asked.

He called for a comprehensive review of past investment summits across Northern states, including Bauchi, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Gombe, and Borno, to identify the causes of poor implementation and lack of progress.

According to him, such an evaluation would reveal weaknesses such as poor follow-up mechanisms, weak monitoring systems, policy inconsistency, inadequate infrastructure, and insecurity that discourage investors.

“We must track the journey from promise to progress. Every MoU signed must have a visible footprint. Investors should not return home with handshakes alone. We must create an environment where investment thrives, with roads, electricity, and security in place,” he said.