Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State has called on governors in the 19 northern states to speak with one voice on security and economic matters.
At the Northern Nigeria Investment and Industrialisation Summit held in Abuja on Monday, the governor commended the Northern Elders Forum for its consistent commitment to the progress of the region.
According to a statement by his spokesperson, Sulaiman Bala Idris, the governor said that a safe North is a bankable North, and urged leaders across the states in the region to deepen collaboration beyond politics.
The investment summit was organised by the Northern Elders Forum, led by Prof. Ango Abdullahi.
Lawal further 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 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.
‘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 formalization, regulation, and value addition. We are revitalising our agricultural sector by promoting mechanization, 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’.
The summit gathered all relevant stakeholders across the northern part of the country.
