Northern leaders must unite to secure region, boost economy — Gov Lawal

Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, has urged a binding commitment among the 19 northern states to speak with one voice on security and economic matters.

Lawal spoke on Monday when he chaired the opening session at the ongoing Northern Nigeria Investment and Industrialisation Summit at the Abuja Continental Hotel.

A statement by the Governor’s spokesperson, Sulaiman Bala Idris, disclosed that the investment summit is organised by the Northern Elders Forum, led by Professor Ango Abdullahi.

The statement added that the summit with the theme: “Unlocking Strategic Opportunities’ attracted relevant stakeholders from across northern Nigeria.

Governor Lawal commended the Northern Elders Forum for its consistent commitment to the progress of the northern region.

He said: “By convening this gathering under the theme ‘Unlocking Strategic Opportunities,’ you have once again demonstrated a clear-eyed focus on our collective future.

“The choice of some of the key sectors, Mining, Agriculture, and Power, is not accidental. It is a strategic diagnosis of the core pillars upon which the prosperity of northern Nigeria must be built.

“In Zamfara, we are aware of the paradox we face: a land blessed with immense mineral wealth and vast arable land, yet our people have not fully reaped the dividends of these endowments.

“The key question for us as leaders is not what needs to be done, but how we can collectively turn potential into prosperity. To attract necessary investment and industrialise our region for the nation’s benefit, we must move beyond rhetoric and adopt a new approach of collaboration.”

Governor Lawal further stressed that a safe North is a bankable North, a region that leaders across the 19 northern states must deepen collaboration beyond politics.

“We must collectively secure people and investments. Security is the fundamental prerequisite for any meaningful development. Investors, both domestic and international, are not philanthropists; they are realists.

“They will not commit capital where it is not safe. We must integrate our security architectures, share intelligence in real-time, and foster greater community policing to create a secure and predictable environment.

“In Zamfara, our commitment is clear: we are moving from a past of informality and illegality in the mining sector to a regime of formalisation, regulation, and value addition. We are revitalising our agricultural sector by promoting mechanisation, agro-processing, and access to credit. And we are creating the secure and stable environment that is the bedrock of it all.

“My call to action today is for a Northern Nigerian Economic Compact, a binding commitment among the 19 states to speak with one voice on security and economic matters. Create a single window for major investors looking to do business across the region. Co-invest in critical infrastructure like power, rail, and fibre optics that connect our states,” Lawal said.

ALSO READ TOP STORIES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE