The Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF) has appointed Mr. Ezekiel Gomos, OFR, as the Director-General of its Secretariat, in what the Forum describes as a major step toward strengthening regional cooperation and institutional capacity across the 19 northern states.
Announcing the decision, the NSGF Chairman and Governor of Gombe State, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, CON, said the creation of the DG’s office would “reposition the Secretariat into a more effective engine room for policy coordination, collective action, and long-term development planning.”
Governor Yahaya added that the appointment signals the Forum’s renewed commitment to addressing northern Nigeria’s pressing socio-economic and security challenges. “We believe Mr. Gomos has the expertise to help us build a stronger, more coherent regional platform that can drive sustainable development and improve our joint responses to emerging issues,” he said.
Mr. Gomos, a former Secretary to the Plateau State Government, is an accomplished development economist with decades of experience in governance reform, private-sector development, and institutional strengthening. He has held senior roles at notable institutions including the New Nigeria Development Company (NNDC) and the West African Examinations Council (WAEC).
He also serves as Lead Consultant and Head of Faculty at the Jos Business School (JBS), where he focuses on leadership development, entrepreneurship training and policy dialogue.
For nearly 20 years, Gomos has been a resource person at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, contributing to the training of top-level leaders in policy formulation, national strategy and development management.
His academic background includes degrees from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and the University of East Anglia, UK. He has earned several prestigious fellowships, including the Hubert Humphrey Fellowship (University of Minnesota), the British Chevening Scholarship, and the UNDP Fellowship at the ILO Training Centre, Turin. He has also completed executive programmes at Harvard Kennedy School, the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and Durham University Business School.
Receiving his appointment letter, Mr. Gomos expressed gratitude for the opportunity. “I am honoured by this confidence and fully committed to supporting the Forum in building stronger regional systems for security coordination, economic cooperation and sustainable development,” he said.
Governor Yahaya expressed optimism that the appointment would “usher in a new era of deeper collaboration and improved coordination across the North.”