Public affairs commentator Mahdi Shehu has described Northern Nigeria as “a conquered society,” blaming poor leadership, insecurity, economic hardship and what he called the failure of the region’s political and traditional elite for the growing challenges facing the North.
Shehu made the remarks in a post on his X (formerly Twitter) account on Thursday, where he offered a bleak assessment of the region’s current condition.
According to him, Northern Nigeria has suffered serious setbacks under democratic rule and is now facing a combination of security, economic and social problems that have left many communities struggling to survive.
His comments come at a time when many northern states continue to battle insecurity, poverty, food shortages and declining infrastructure despite years of government interventions.
For more than a decade, large parts of the North have experienced attacks by terrorists, bandits, kidnappers and other criminal groups. Several communities have also been affected by farmer-herder clashes, communal violence and mass displacement, while many residents continue to grapple with rising food prices and unemployment.
Against this background, Shehu argued that the region’s current difficulties were largely self-inflicted.
“The North has been defeated physically and tactically,” he wrote.
According to him, selfish interests among some influential northerners contributed significantly to the region’s decline.
“The defeat became possible on account of some greedy and cowardly Northerners with material afflictions, who mortgaged the North on selfish grounds just for them to remain comfortable,” he stated.
Shehu also blamed what he described as the complacency of many people in the region, arguing that a culture of silence and unwillingness to challenge poor leadership had worsened the situation.
“The defeat has been foretold because docility became part of the pathology of majority Northerners,” he said.
The commentator further argued that many people in the region failed to recognise warning signs before the situation deteriorated.
According to him, poor judgment and the inability to think beyond immediate political interests contributed to the present challenges.
“The defeat became inevitable on account of the avoidable stupidity and shortsightedness of most Northerners,” he wrote.
Shehu also argued that modern conflicts are no longer fought only with military force but increasingly through information, public perception and political influence.
“We lost the war because we stupidly thought wars are fought with guns only whereas propaganda and shamelessness are the modern-day weapons of war,” he said.
He criticised northern elders, accusing them of failing to provide the courageous leadership needed to protect the interests of the region during difficult times.
According to him, leadership failures among influential figures have weakened the North’s ability to respond effectively to its numerous challenges.
“A society whose population of elders is made up mostly of cowards, selfish imbeciles with too much survival instinct is a society whose defeat is inevitable. Such is the Northern society,” he stated.
Shehu went further to describe what he believes are signs that the region is in deep crisis.
He pointed to widespread hunger, worsening insecurity, killings, destruction of property, poor healthcare, malnutrition and deteriorating infrastructure as evidence that the North is facing serious social and economic decline.
According to him, these conditions have created widespread frustration among residents and weakened the social fabric of many communities.
“With the level of hunger in the North, increasing death tolls from wanton killings, arson, deliberate murder, hunger, starvation, diseases, malnutrition, total collapse of infrastructure, compromised culture and values, total confusion and frustration, which are all signs of a conquered society, what remains is for the North to surrender and become prisoners of war,” he said.
In his concluding remarks, Shehu maintained that Northern Nigeria had effectively been conquered during the democratic era through a combination of insecurity, economic hardship and internal weaknesses.
He argued that violence, government policies and what he described as the region’s own mistakes had combined to produce the current situation.
His comments have added to the ongoing national conversation about the challenges confronting Northern Nigeria and the need for urgent reforms.
The North remains the region most affected by insurgency and banditry, with several states recording repeated attacks on villages, schools, highways and farming communities.
Thousands of people have lost their lives over the years, while millions have been displaced from their homes.
The security crisis has also disrupted farming activities across many parts of the region, contributing to reduced food production and rising food prices.
In addition to insecurity, many northern states continue to rank among those with the highest poverty rates, low school enrolment, limited access to healthcare and inadequate infrastructure.
These challenges have prompted repeated calls from political leaders, traditional rulers, civil society organisations and development experts for increased investment in education, agriculture, healthcare, job creation and security.
Successive administrations at both the federal and state levels have introduced programmes aimed at improving security and reducing poverty in the region.
These include expanded military operations against terrorist groups, agricultural support programmes, social investment initiatives and infrastructure projects.
However, many residents and analysts argue that the pace of improvement has been slow, with insecurity and economic hardship continuing to affect daily life across many northern communities.
Shehu’s remarks are expected to generate mixed reactions, particularly because of his criticism of northern political leaders and elders.
While some may agree with his assessment that leadership failures have contributed to the region’s challenges, others may reject his characterisation of Northern Nigeria as a “conquered society.”
The comments also highlight growing concerns about the future of the region as political leaders prepare for the 2027 general elections, with security, economic recovery and governance expected to dominate public debate.