Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, has called on leaders of the 19 northern states to adopt a binding commitment that will enable the region to speak with one voice on security and economic matters.
Lawal made the call on Monday while chairing the opening session of the Northern Nigeria Investment and Industrialization Summit, held at the Abuja Continental Hotel.
The summit, themed “Unlocking Strategic Opportunities”, was organized by the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), led by Professor Ango Abdullahi, and brought together key stakeholders from across the region.
In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Sulaiman Bala Idris, the governor commended the NEF for its consistency in championing the progress of the North.
“By convening this gathering under the theme ‘Unlocking Strategic Opportunities,’ you have once again demonstrated a clear-eyed focus on our collective future,” Lawal said.
He stressed that focusing on mining, agriculture, and power was a deliberate recognition of the pillars that must drive the region’s prosperity.
“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,” he noted.
Lawal emphasized the need for northern leaders to go beyond rhetoric by adopting a collaborative approach that secures investments and drives industrial growth.
“A safe North is a bankable North,” he said, adding that security is the fundamental prerequisite for 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,” he said.
Highlighting steps taken in Zamfara, the governor said his administration was moving from informal and illegal mining to formalized, regulated, and value-added operations. He also pointed to efforts to mechanize agriculture, promote agro-processing, and expand access to credit for farmers.
Lawal urged northern governors to adopt what he called a Northern Nigerian Economic Compact — a united framework to co-invest in infrastructure such as power, rail, and fibre optics, while also creating a single-window platform for investors.
“The key question for us as leaders is not what needs to be done, but how we can collectively turn potential into prosperity,” he said.
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