The North We Once Knew: Lessons in managed diversity, by Engr. Bello Gwarzo Abdullahi, FNSE
The thought-provoking piece by Samuel Aruwan, “Christmas Reflections and Northern Nigeria’s Long Night of Division,” stirred in me a deep and aching memory of a North that once understood its own soul. It was a North where ethnic and religious differences did not define us as enemies, but rather formed the fabric of a vast, carefully managed tapestry. Today, as we navigate a landscape of growing fragmentation, it is worth asking how we lost that spirit—and, more importantly, how we can recover it.
The unity of the First Republic was no historical accident. It was the product of deliberate and thoughtful leadership. Under Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto, the North operated a Northernisation policy that was far more sophisticated than simple favouritism. It was, in truth, a survival strategy. By defining a “Northerner” geographically rather than ethnically or religiously, the Sardauna built a system in which a Christian from the Middle Belt and a Muslim from the Far North could work side by side in Kaduna, bound by shared purpose rDrather than divided by identity.
This discipline gave the region a clear advantage. The North did not rely on numbers alone; it relied on cohesion. In national debates, it spoke with a single, respected voice because internal disagreements were handled quietly, with the restraint and wisdom of elders. The common good consistently took precedence over sectional or parochial interests.
READ ALSO: US attack in North West Nigeria had federal approval – Defence Headquarters
I witnessed the practical results of this upbringing during my years at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, in the Shagari era. In that intellectual melting pot, friendships among Northerners formed with a natural ease that often puzzled others. There was an unspoken code—a shared culture of trust and openness. One did not need to announce tribe or religion; conduct spoke for itself, grounded in the idea of Mutumin Kirki—the person of integrity.
One moment from that period has stayed with me for decades. During a General Studies lecture, an Igbo lecturer paused mid-lecture to commend Northerners for their honesty and unity across religious lines. In a hall largely filled with non-Northerners, the praise was striking. It was not flattery. It was recognition of a regional reputation built over time—a brand associated with discipline, integrity, and cohesion.
To reclaim that spirit, however, we must be honest about what changed. The transition from a single regional government to a 19-state structure brought governance closer to the grassroots, but it also gave rise to what might be called statism. The adhesive that held the One North idea together gradually weakened as attention turned inward. Today, rigid “state of origin” rules have made Northerners strangers to one another.
READ ALSO: Hassan Usman Katsina: The soldier-statesman who steered Northern Nigeria through turbulent times
Institutions that once served as melting pots have also lost their unifying force. The Northern Nigeria Development Corporation and schools such as Barewa College once helped produce a shared Northern elite and common outlook. Today, they struggle to perform the same role in a landscape shaped by competing state interests and narrow loyalties.
We cannot return to 1960, nor should we try. But we must recover the philosophy that once made the North strong. The Sardauna’s most important insight remains relevant: the North is only strong when everyone feels a sense of belonging. Unity does not require sameness; it requires a conscious choice to stand together despite differences.
When the North is divided, Nigeria as a whole loses a stabilising anchor. Reclaiming our old spirit of mutual respect, restraint, and managed diversity is not an exercise in nostalgia—it is a necessity for the future.
Written by Engr. Bello Gwarzo Abdullahi, FNSE.
Email: bgabdullahi@gmail.com
Follow the Neptune Prime channel on WhatsApp:
Do you have breaking news, interview request, opinion, suggestion, or want your event covered? Email us at neptuneprime2233@gmail.com
