Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to focus on transparent and open development partnerships that would leverage the unique social and economic advantages of the state.
The governor stated this while speaking as a panelist at the fourth Africa Sub-Sovereign Network, AfSNET, Conference, held on Monday at the Swiss Grand Royal Hotel in Kisumu County, Kenya.
A statement issued by the governor’s media aide, Sulaiman Idris, disclosed that the conference, which started from November 25 to 27, was declared open by the President of Kenya, Dr. Williams Ruto.
The statement explained that Mr Lawal represented the Nigeria Governors Forum at the conference, which has the theme “Leveraging the AfCFTA for Sustainable Trade and Investment: A Development Pathway for African Sub-Sovereigns”.
While delivering a goodwill message on behalf of the Nigeria Governors Forum, Mr Lawal noted this year’s theme resonates with the developmental aspirations of African sub-national governments.
He said: “It challenges us to align our strategies and resources toward unlocking the transformative potential of the African Continental Free Trade Area [AfCFTA].
“In Nigeria, we recognise the critical role of sub-national governments in driving trade, investment, and economic growth. Our 36 states are diverse economic hubs, each with unique comparative advantages contributing to the national economy.
“One example of leveraging trade for sustainable development can be seen in the Kaduna State Agro-Allied Industrial Zone, a public-private partnership initiative designed to integrate agricultural production with processing and export.
“This project demonstrates how sub-sovereigns can harness local resources and the AfCFTA framework to enhance value addition and expand market access across Africa.
“Similarly, the Lekki Free Trade Zone has become a model of industrialization and foreign direct investment attraction in Lagos State. Its strategic location and integration into regional trade corridors highlight the importance of infrastructure and institutional support in realising AfCFTA’s benefits.”
At the panel discussion on creating sustainable solutions for the development of the African Region, Mr Lawal highlighted that development and sustainability are intertwined concepts that aim to balance economic growth, social equity, and environmental protection.
“As governor within the Northwest sub-region of Nigeria, which includes six other governors, we have created the Northwest Governors’ Forum to articulate and harmonise policies that will engender regional cooperation for sustainable development. This has already begun to yield results that facilitate prosperity within the sub-region.
“To sustain any development solution, the collaboration between governments at different levels in development efforts is critical and the way out. Decisive, accountable, and transparent institutions are needed to inspire confidence in the stakeholders.”
On security, the governor emphasised that without a secure environment, governments cannot efficiently provide social services to it’s people.
While explaining the constitutional constraints a Nigerian governor faces in tackling security challenges in their state, Mr Lawal said “Constitutional provisions limit the scope of a governor in terms of providing security to the people he governs.
“Nonetheless, we have made concerted efforts to ensure that our environment remains secure by establishing the Community Protection Guard, CPG, which has curtailed the level of insecurity experienced before the advent of my administration.”
