Governor Lawal speaks at 2026 CEO Forum on unlocking investment in Zamfara

Zamfara Governor Dauda Lawal used a gathering of Nigeria’s business and political leaders to focus attention on a basic question: what turns an economic opportunity into an investable proposition?

Lawal delivered the Special Policy Address at the 2026 CEO Forum in Lagos, organized by the Global Compact Network Nigeria. The event carried the theme “Financing a Dignified Future: Aligning Business Action, Policy and Capital.”

The forum brought together chief executives, senior government officials, industry leaders from oil and gas, energy, manufacturing, construction and infrastructure, as well as trade commissioners, diplomats and international development partners. Lawal discussed how states compete for increasingly selective private capital and explained how Zamfara is seeking to close the gap between opportunity and investment in ways that support both investor confidence and economic outcomes for its people.

The event focused on identifying businesses, sectors and projects that struggle to access funding, and on finding ways to attract capital. Its discussion of the “Dignity Dividend” examined how investment and growth can produce better jobs, stronger businesses, higher productivity, local value creation and wider economic participation.

The organizers said the forum would seek practical commitments and partnerships that participating institutions can advance over the following six to 12 months. The session was also expected to conclude with a live showcase of the Business Value and Sustainability Platform, a coalition of business, capital and policy actors intended to continue the discussion and help shape Nigeria’s private-sector contribution to the United Nations General Assembly’s High-Level Week.

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Financing a Dignified Future: Aligning Business Action, Policy and Capital.