Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — The Growth and Development of Northern Nigeria, GDNN, has called on the Federal Government to designate Lagos and Rivers States as Federal Capital Territories, arguing that both cities are national economic powerhouses whose assets must be federally protected and made equally accessible to all Nigerians.
This proposal, announced in a statement by Haruna Buhari, Acting Secretary of GDNN’s Public Policy Advocacy Unit, sighted by our correspondent in Port Harcourt, followed GDNN’s 18th Steering Committee meeting.
The group said the move would not only safeguard key national economic assets but also resolve long-standing political tensions tied to regional imbalances in infrastructure access and federal attention.
“Lagos and Port Harcourt are not just state capitals; they are Nigeria’s primary economic arteries. Designating them as Federal Capital Territories will ensure equitable access to their opportunities by all Nigerians, as it currently is in Abuja.”
Buhari further stated that the proposal draws from historical precedence. “The North has consistently conceded to the rest of the country. Limiting that spirit of national equity to only Abuja is unjust. In 1975, General Murtala Mohammed envisioned Lagos, Kaduna, and Enugu as Special Areas tied to the Federal Capital City. We are only asking that commitment be fulfilled.”
He said the policy would decentralize economic and political capital access, spurring growth and national unity. “The same way Niger, Nasarawa, Kogi and Kaduna States sacrificed land for Abuja, there should be structured benefits for indigenes of such territories. This model can be extended to Lagos and Rivers, with fair governance conditions for surrounding regions.”
The group also faulted the Central Bank of Nigeria’s recent hike in the Cash Reserve Ratio, CRR, describing the move as anti-growth and detrimental to small businesses, access to capital, and inflation control.
“This aggressive tightening by the CBN is counterproductive. It is shrinking credit to the real sector and suffocating legitimate trade across the informal economy,” he said.
Buhari also demanded a full disengagement from USAID and any similar organizations following the agency’s dissolution by former U.S. President Donald Trump.
“Nigeria must rethink its donor partnerships. We have enough resources to define and fund our priorities. Our engagement terms must reflect national interests, not donor preferences.”
On security, GDNN urged the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, to seek strategic collaboration with technologically advanced allies if current domestic efforts fail to deliver results.
“If this strategy fails to end insecurity, we must be willing to change direction and partner with nations that have advanced tech and intelligence capabilities,” Buhari said.
He also decried Nigeria’s anti-money laundering framework, saying it unjustly criminalizes legitimate open-market traders operating high-volume cash transactions.
“This law is destroying the livelihoods of market traders who handle large sums daily without banking systems. We must develop a framework that reflects our economic realities,” he added.
