Gov Lawal also stated that he has declared a state of emergency in Zamfara State’s education and health sectors
By Kehinde Okeowo
Governor of Zamfara State, Dauda Lawal, has assured the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, Amina Mohammed that the deployment of advanced technology will help in combating insecurity in the Northern region of Nigeria.
He made this known while he and other governors from the region met with the Deputy Secretary-General of the UN, in Washington, D.C, United States recently.
Confirming the meeting via a statement, the Zamfara Governor’s spokesman, Sulaiman Idris, told journalists that the meeting was attended by governors of Zamfara, Benue, Jigawa, Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi and Niger States.
Speaking during the parley, Amina Mohammed commended the governors for their efforts in the fight against insecurity in the region.
She said, “Your presence here indicates a strong desire from the Northern governors to implement change in their states.”
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Responding, Gov Lawal said Agriculture suffered a serious setback due to prevalent insecurity in the Northern region of Nigeria and highlighted the crucial role that technology can play in enhancing security.
He also spoke on the need for a coordinated effort to harness the power of technology, stressing on the need for use of artificial intelligence, biometric identification systems and surveillance cameras.
He said: “Due to insecurity, agriculture has been impossible. We need assistance in transitioning from peasant farming to advancing agriculture, so that we can deploy technology to fight this insurgency.”
He went on to tell the UN envoy that he has declared a state of emergency in the education and health sectors in Zamfara State.
Gov Lawal further stressed that there is a need for his administration to urgently address the challenges posed by the two critical sectors.
