Why North is still backward – Col. Gwadabe

Retired military officer and elder statesman, Colonel Lawan Gwadabe, has attributed the North’s underdevelopment to poor leadership across generations.

At a press briefing held Thursday to commemorate 30 years since the passing of General Hassan Usman Katsina, Gwadabe lamented what he described as a deep deviation from the leadership values once upheld by the late General.

“The poverty afflicting Northern Nigeria is not an accident like slave trade or apartheid,” Gwadabe declared. “It is man-made and can be reversed by the collective actions of leaders at the helm of affairs today.”

The event, hosted by the New Vision Development Initiative (NEVDI), served not only to honour the legacy of General Katsina but also to draw attention to what Gwadabe called a “leadership vacuum” in the region.

He urged Northern leaders—both political and traditional—to rekindle the selflessness and urgency that defined Katsina’s leadership style.

“Gen. Hassan was a leader who talked, and the entire North respectfully listened. He never hesitated to visit public officials and leaders to convey strongly his viewpoints,” Gwadabe said.

He praised Katsina’s legacy of compassion, courage, and service to the public, qualities he said are lacking in many of today’s leaders.

“From morning to evening, General Hassan was tirelessly working for the common man. A problem at his doorstep was actually a problem solved,” he said.

Gwadabe also voiced concern over the current state of education and youth development in the North. He particularly highlighted the enduring presence of the Almajiri system, which General Katsina campaigned against even after retirement.

“General Hassan always advocated education for all because that is the key for liberation and the emancipation of the mind,” he said.

He emphasized the need for accountable and responsive governance, warning that the region risks deeper decline without both effective leadership and responsible citizen participation.

“Leadership is a responsibility, not a throne. The North today is practically under dire straits. All Northerners must reflect on what went wrong,” Gwadabe warned.