Forum of Governors of the Northeast

Forum of Governors of the Northeast
Name	Forum of Governors of the Northeast
Formation	2015
Type	Intergovernmental forum
Region served	Northeastern Nigeria
Headquarters	Abuja (convening), rotating state venues
Leader title	Chairman
Leader name	Rotating among state governors

Forum of Governors of the Northeast is a regional intergovernmental council composed of executive leaders from the northeastern states of Nigeria. It convenes to coordinate responses to security crises, humanitarian emergencies, reconstruction, and development across the Borno, Adamawa, Yobe, Taraba, Bauchi and Gombe territories, interfacing with national and international partners such as the Presidency of Nigeria, NEMA, African Union, United Nations agencies and bilateral donors. The Forum emerged amid the insurgency linked to Boko Haram and related actors, seeking a coordinated provincial platform alongside agencies like the Economic Community of West African States and organizations including the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Background and Establishment

The Forum formed in the aftermath of intensified conflict involving Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province when state executives sought collective mechanisms similar to past regional bodies such as the Northern Governors' Forum, South-West Governors' Forum and international models like the Gulf Cooperation Council and the Economic Community of West African States summit processes. Initial convenings involved chief executives who had worked with figures from the Presidency of Nigeria and offices of the Vice President of Nigeria to coordinate with humanitarian actors such as United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and reconstruction planners linked to the World Bank. Political actors from the region, including former and incumbent governors with ties to parties like the All Progressives Congress and the People's Democratic Party (Nigeria), were pivotal in setting mandate documents, institutionalizing protocols found in other federations such as the Council of the Federation (Russia) and regional accords akin to the Maputo Protocol style declarations.

Membership and Governance

Membership comprises the sitting chief executives of participating northeastern states, with observers from federal ministries including the Ministry of Defence (Nigeria), Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development (Nigeria), and agencies like National Orientation Agency (Nigeria). Governance follows a rotating chairmanship among governors, supported by a secretariat staffed by former state commissioners, advisors who have worked with institutions such as the World Health Organization, United Nations Development Programme, and policy units patterned after the National Governors Association (United States). Decision-making is guided by memoranda of understanding that echo templates used by bodies like the African Development Bank and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for subnational collaboration.

Objectives and Functions

The Forum's stated objectives include harmonizing security responses with actors such as the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Army, and regional mechanisms like the Lake Chad Basin Commission; coordinating humanitarian relief with UNICEF, World Food Programme, and Médecins Sans Frontières; and advancing reconstruction partnerships with financiers including the World Bank Group and the African Development Bank. It also focuses on social services rehabilitation in collaboration with agencies like the Federal Ministry of Education (Nigeria), Federal Ministry of Health (Nigeria), and civil society actors modeled after international NGOs such as CARE International and Oxfam.

Major Initiatives and Programs

Key initiatives include joint rehabilitation of internally displaced persons (IDP) camps in coordination with National Emergency Management Agency (Nigeria) and International Rescue Committee; agricultural recovery programs informed by research from institutions like the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture and funding mechanisms reminiscent of European Union post-conflict instruments; and vocational training schemes implemented with partners including the British Council, United States Agency for International Development and technical institutes modeled after the African Union Youth Volunteer Corps. The Forum has launched infrastructure reconstruction projects, collaborating with federal agencies and donors such as the World Bank’s state-level rehabilitation windows and leveraging expertise from engineering faculties at universities like University of Maiduguri.

Meetings and Decision-Making Process

Meetings are typically held quarterly at rotating state capitals, with extraordinary sessions convened during acute crises involving stakeholders such as the National Security Adviser (Nigeria), commanders from the Nigerian Army, and representatives of the African Union Commission. Agendas are set by the secretariat, with decisions adopted by consensus or supermajority modeled on procedures similar to the Economic Community of West African States and the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting practice of consensus declarations. Outcomes are communicated to federal organs including the National Assembly (Nigeria) and to multilateral partners such as UN OCHA.

Relationship with Federal and Regional Bodies

The Forum maintains both cooperative and negotiated relations with the Federal Government of Nigeria and ministries such as the Ministry of Interior (Nigeria), balancing state autonomy with national policy frameworks exemplified by the Nigerian Constitution. It liaises with regional bodies including the Lake Chad Basin Commission and continental institutions like the African Union for cross-border security and development programming, often seeking harmonization with bilateral missions such as the European Union Delegation to Nigeria and multilateral lenders including the International Monetary Fund for macroeconomic alignment.

Criticism and Controversies

Critics drawn from civil society groups, media outlets like Channels Television and opposition figures in parties like the Labour Party (Nigeria) have argued the Forum sometimes overlaps mandates with federal agencies, creating accountability gaps reminiscent of debates around the State Security Service (Nigeria) and past disputes involving the Fiscal Responsibility Act (Nigeria). Human rights organizations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have occasionally highlighted concerns about security measures coordinated at subnational levels and the protection of IDP rights, prompting scrutiny from legal scholars at institutions such as Ahmadu Bello University and policy think tanks including the Centre for Democracy and Development. Category:Organizations based in Nigeria