Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, has emphasised the need to deploy advanced technology to combat insecurity challenges facing the state and northern Nigeria in general.
Lawal, alongside nine other governors from the North-West and North-Central are currently in the United States of America for a symposium on ‘Peace and Security,” organised by the Africa Center at the United States Institute of Peace’.
This is coming a day after over three persons were killed when bandits invaded a market in Tsafe town, the headquarters of Tsafe Local Government Area of the state.
An eyewitness said the bandits stormed the market around 11 a.m. on Sunday and opened fire on those at the market.
Speaking during a meeting with the United Nations, Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, at the Nigerian Embassy in Washington, D.C, Lawal said technology such as Artificial Intelligence, plays a crucial role in enhancing security.
This was contained in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Sulaiman Bala Idris on Monday.
“We are here with common problems. The major challenge is insecurity, and something has to be done.
“Due to insecurity, agriculture has become 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 remain bleak.
“We require significant support to overcome these challenges and ensure a better future for our people,” Lawal said.
He, however, praised the governors for their efforts in finding a lasting solution to the persistent insecurity issues in parts of Northern Nigeria.