Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State has spotlighted his state’s growing role in Africa’s digital revolution during a keynote address at the Digital Government Africa Summit held in Lusaka, Zambia. Sharing the stage with Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema, Lawal outlined Zamfara’s achievements in building a digitally empowered governance system that enhances transparency, efficiency, and citizen engagement.
The governor detailed several of Zamfara’s flagship digital initiatives, including the e-GovConnect platform, which streamlines public service delivery and improves financial accountability; the Zamfara Digital Literacy Framework (ZDLF), Nigeria’s first state-led digital skills programme; and the Zamfara Institute of Information Technology, which focuses on advanced learning in Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Blockchain, and Data Analytics.
He also announced that Zamfara would host the Arewa Tech Festival, set to become Northern Nigeria’s largest technology gathering—an event expected to position the state as a regional hub for innovation and investment.
Governor Lawal stressed that digital governance must evolve hand in hand with ethics, highlighting the state’s adoption of cybersecurity and data protection standards aligned with Nigeria’s Data Protection Act.
“For us in Zamfara State, digital transformation redefines how government interacts with its people,” he said. “We believe in governance that is present, intelligent, responsive, and data-driven.”
President Hichilema commended Lawal for his leadership, describing the Zamfara Digital Literacy Framework as a pioneering model that equips citizens with future-ready skills and sets an example for other Nigerian states.
Governor Lawal also called for stronger regional collaboration, reaffirming Zamfara’s commitment to advancing Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), e-Governance, and digital trade under continental frameworks such as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the Smart Africa Alliance.
Concluding his address, he underscored the human-centred impact of digital progress:
“The farmer who uses weather data to plan his crops, the mother who registers for health insurance from her phone, the student learning online from a remote village, and the entrepreneur expanding across borders through e-commerce—that is the Africa we must design.”
Melissa Enoch
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