UNGA81: Nigeria’s northwest governors commit to shared agenda for peace, resilience

New York, Sept. 24, 2026

The seven governors of Nigeria’ northwest geopolitical zone have committed to advancing a shared regional agenda for peace, resilience and economic opportunity on the margins of the 2026 UN General Assembly’s 81st Session.

The United Nations Development Programme  (UNDP) stated in a statement on Tuesday that the governors met at a special event in New York convened by the Northwest Governors’ Forum (NWGF) in partnership with the UNDP.

The governors called for stronger international partnerships, development finance and responsible investment to translate the Northwest Peace, Security and Development Framework (2026–2030) into action.

The high-level event brought together the governors, UN officials under the leadership of Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, development partners, international financial institutions, private-sector leaders, philanthropies and members of the diplomatic community.

Speakers and participants concurred on a common proposition: lasting peace requires investment in the conditions that allow people, communities and economies to thrive.

The governors’ commitment marks a shift from fragmented responses to a coordinated regional approach.

The seven states – Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara – are aligning around one framework to address insecurity and vulnerability while expanding livelihoods, jobs, essential services and economic opportunity.

Home to more than 60 million people, Northwest Nigeria is central to Nigeria’s food systems, domestic commerce and regional trade.

Its economic assets include agriculture, livestock, industry, solid minerals, renewable energy, digital innovation and major commercial corridors connecting communities and markets within Nigeria and across neighbouring countries.

Yet the region also faces interconnected pressures, including insecurity, climate shocks, poverty, unemployment, displacement, limited access to essential services and growing pressure on livelihoods and public institutions.

These challenges do not stop at state boundaries, and the governors are positioning regional cooperation, rather than isolated state-by-state interventions, as a foundation for a more effective response.

Adopted by the seven governors in March 2026, the Northwest Peace, Security and Development Framework (2026–2030) provides a common strategic roadmap for addressing the underlying drivers of fragility while strengthening the foundations for inclusive and resilient growth.

Developed with technical support from UNDP Nigeria and funding from the German Government through the Northwest Prevention Facility Project, the Framework brings peace, security and development into a single regional agenda.

The engagement taken today focuses on how government resources, official development assistance, development finance, philanthropic capital and responsible private investment can be aligned around priority interventions and combined to reduce risk and unlock additional capital.

The objective is to build investment-ready portfolios that can deliver measurable results for peace, resilience, jobs and inclusive economic growth.

Priority areas include climate-smart agriculture and livestock value chains, renewable energy, trade and commercial infrastructure, digital innovation, human capital, social services and locally led enterprise development.

“You cannot secure a region into prosperity. You have to invest in it.

“The Northwest Peace, Security and Development Framework gives the seven states a shared platform to connect peace, resilience and economic opportunity.

“This engagement at UNGA is about turning that commitment into partnerships, financing and action,” Dauda Lawal, Governor of Zamfara, said.

Speaking, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohamed commended the governors for speaking in one voice and turning it into a single framework for peace, for security, and for sustainable development.

“Security operations are necessary, but they can only take us so far. There is no peace without development,” she said.

The framework builds on the inaugural Northwest Peace and Security Summit, held in 2024, and the subsequent strengthening of the Northwest Governors’ Forum Secretariat as a platform for sustained cooperation among the seven states.

UNDP, on its part, committed to help translate this locally-led commitment into practical solutions.

This includes supporting policy and institutional capacity, strengthening coordination across the seven states, helping develop investment-ready opportunities and connecting regional priorities with development partners, financial institutions and responsible private capital.

“Peace cannot be built on security alone. It is built when people have a stake in their future: when young people can find work, businesses can grow, communities can withstand shocks and institutions can deliver.

“UNDP is helping turn that political commitment into a pipeline of practical, investable solutions, and we are connecting Northwest Nigeria with the partners and capital needed to deliver on these commitments,’’ UNDP Associate Administrator Haoliang XU said.

The governors’ engagement at UNGA 81 comes at a time when fragile and climate-vulnerable regions around the world are seeking new approaches to financing resilience and development.

The northwest’s experience offers a practical proposition: locally-led leadership, regional coordination and aligned capital can help move communities from crisis response towards resilience and sustainable economic opportunity.

The commitment made at UNGA81 is both regional and global: to build on local leadership, mobilise the partnerships and capital required for implementation.

It also demonstrates that investing in resilience and opportunity can be a fundamental part of building lasting peace.