President Bola Tinubu has approved the Pulaaku Initiative Says Vice President Kahsim Shettima

Vice President Kahsim Shettima says President Bola Tinubu has approved the “Pulaaku Initiative”, a non-kinetic solution to deal with insurgency and banditry in the North, and has equally allocated the sum of N50bn to the initiative, in its first instance.

Speaking during his opening address at a two-day Roundtable on Insecurity in Northern Nigeria, organised by the Coalition of Northern Groups, with the theme “Multi-Dimensional Approach to Tackling Insecurity in Northern Nigeria”, Shettima, who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Ibrahim Hadeija, said the now-approved initiative would begin in five states of the North namely, Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina, Benue, Zamfara, Niger and Kaduna states, and would “catalyse” the fortunes of the northern region.

“Every part of the country is equal to the rest, and the government treats the needs of each region as critical. For the North, we are also embarking on a transformative journey to address the root causes of the challenges. The Pulaaku Initiative, a non-kinetic solution, has received presidential approval, with an allocation of N50bn in the first instance.

“This initiative aims to enhance living conditions and livelihoods in selected states, starting with Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina, Benue, Zamfara, Niger and Kaduna. The construction of residences, roads, schools and other essential facilities is set to commence, promising to catalyse the fortunes of this region,” he said.

Shettima, noted that the government was committed to addressing insecurity in the nation, having allocated a larger share of the 2024 budget to insecurity, while stating that Nigerians must focus on building stronger systems and stop narratives that divided the country.