By Aminu Dalhatu
The Zamfara State Government has pledged to strengthen public-private partnerships as part of efforts to attract investment, promote industrialisation and accelerate sustainable economic growth in the state.
Governor Dauda Lawal made the commitment while speaking at the 2026 Zamfara State Business Partnership and Economic Development Summit held in Gusau, the state capital.
The summit organised by the state Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, was themed: “Strengthening Partnership Between the Zamfara Business Community and Government for Sustainable Economic Growth and Investment.”
Governor Lawal said the government would continue to explore appropriate public-private partnership arrangements in areas where private capital, expertise and operational capacity could complement government resources.
He identified industrial infrastructure, markets, logistics, renewable energy, tourism, skills development and other commercially viable sectors as areas where such partnerships could be explored.
The Governor stressed that the approach would be guided by transparency, due process, value for money, appropriate risk allocation and the long-term interests of the people of Zamfara State.
He therefore called on investors from within Nigeria and beyond to explore opportunities in Zamfara, engage relevant government institutions and consider how their capital, expertise and innovation could be aligned with the state’s development priorities.
Governor Lawal said Zamfara was endowed with significant economic potential, including agricultural resources, mineral deposits, livestock, human capital, entrepreneurial capacity, commercial activities and a rich cultural heritage.
He, however observed that the availability of resources and opportunities alone could not guarantee prosperity, stressing that investment, technology, infrastructure, sound policies and effective institutions were required to transform those resources into sustainable economic value.
Governor Dauda Lawal said his administration was determined to create an economic environment where the state’s resources would not merely be extracted or traded in their primary forms, but transformed into higher-value products and productive enterprises within the state.
He explained that the government wanted to see agriculture linked to aggregation, storage, processing, packaging and distribution, while mineral resources would be developed through responsible extraction, processing and downstream industrial activities.
Dr. Lawal added that livestock resources could create opportunities in animal production, feed manufacturing, veterinary services, meat processing, leather production and other related value chains.
Governor Lawal said the ultimate objective was to progressively move Zamfara from an economy heavily dependent on primary production and trading to one driven by value addition, industrialisation, innovation, enterprise and productive investment.
He called for increased investment in storage, packaging, transportation, mechanisation, irrigation and agricultural services to connect farmers with markets and processing facilities.
The Governor also recognised the important role of small and medium-sized enterprises in the state’s economic development, noting that thousands of SMEs across Zamfara provide employment, support households, facilitate trade and promote entrepreneurship.
Dr. Lawal therefore called on banks, development finance institutions, private investors and other financial institutions to explore emerging opportunities in Zamfara and work with government and the business community to develop financing structures capable of supporting productive enterprises.
In a remark, Zamfara State Commissioner for Commerce, Industry and Tourism Tasiu Musa Shinkafi reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to continue initiating ways of exhibiting business opportunities of the state to other parts of the country and the world at large as part of effort to attract huge investors.
The event also brought together a wide range of marketers, manufacturers, industrialists and other key players in the business community, who showcased their products and services to participants and potential investors.
Editing By Godwin Duru
