The Governor of Zamfara State, Dauda Lawal has emphasised the pressing need to deploy advanced technology to combat insecurity in the state and northern Nigeria as a whole.
Mr Lawal and other state governors met with Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, Amina J Mohammed, in Washington, D C on Friday.
A statement by the spokesperson of the Zamfara Governor, Sulaiman Bala Idris, revealed that the meeting was attended by governors from Zamfara, Benue, Jigawa, Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, and Niger states.
The Deputy Secretary-General praised the governors for their efforts towards finding a lasting solution to the region’s problems. “Your presence here indicates a strong desire from the Northern governors to implement change in their states,” Mrs Mohammed added.
Explaining the Zamfara situation to the Deputy Secretary-General, Governor Lawal highlighted the crucial role that technology could play in enhancing security and the need for a coordinated effort to harness the power of technology, including the use of artificial intelligence, biometric identification systems, and surveillance cameras.
He stated, “We are here with common problems. The major challenge is insecurity, and something has to be done.
“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. We hope to find solutions to these problems during these meetings. I inherited a dysfunctional state with poor development indices.
“I have declared a state of emergency in education and health. We must take immediate action to address these critical issues; otherwise, our future will be bleak. We require significant support to overcome these challenges and ensure a better future for our people,” Mr Lawal further told the UN Deputy Secretary-General.
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