POLITICS TODAY

By Nasir Dambatta

In a compelling reminder that “whoever controls the narrative controls the perception,” Professor Usman Yusuf Kurfi has issued a fresh yet timely and necessary wake-up call to Northern Nigeria: it’s time to strategically invest in media and take ownership of its own story.

For too long, the North’s complex realities have been painted in overly broad strokes—sometimes inadvertently—by dominant media outlets largely headquartered in the South. This isn’t an indictment, but a recognition of structural imbalance. When voices closest to the lived realities are absent or underrepresented in the media space, misperceptions thrive.

Professor Kurfi rightly notes that while there are indeed challenges in the North, there is also innovation, resilience, cultural vibrancy, and economic progress that rarely make headlines. He is not alone in this observation. International analysts, including former U.S. ambassador John Campbell, have highlighted how skewed reportage can shape foreign and domestic opinions, often to the detriment of Northern development and investment prospects.

What Prof. Kurfi proposes is not confrontation—but construction. A call to build sustainable, credible media platforms that spotlight the North’s full narrative: from thriving education hubs and agribusiness innovation to cultural exports like Kannywood. Already, in their own little ways, online outlets like Daily Nigerian, Sahelian Times, Nigerian Tracker, and The Daily Reality are proving that authentic voices can reshape perspectives—when given the tools and support to thrive.

This is a call to northern elites, academics, professionals, and private sector players. Telling our story isn’t just a media project; it’s a strategic necessity for economic growth, social cohesion, and national integration. The time to act is now.

Prof. Kurfi has lit the torch. It’s up to the North to carry it forward.