The Executive Governor of Zamfara State, Dr. Dauda Lawal, is set to lead a high-powered Nigerian delegation to Canada for a crucial investment summit aimed at unlocking billions in foreign partnerships and economic opportunities.
Governor Lawal, alongside several state governors and the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, will represent Nigeria at the Canada–Africa Summit on Digital Rails and Inclusive Growth, scheduled to hold in Toronto from August 10 to 15, 2026.
The invitation from the Presidency underscores the strategic importance of Lawal’s participation, describing it as pivotal to strengthening Nigeria’s diplomatic leverage and economic influence at the Nigeria Diaspora Investment Economic Conference (NDIEC) a global convergence of governments, multinational corporations, investors, and development finance institutions.
NDIEC has rapidly emerged as a critical platform where high-level deals are brokered, partnerships sealed, and investment pipelines opened across Africa’s most promising economies.
The summit aligns directly with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s economic agenda, particularly the National Energy Transition Plan, positioning Nigeria as a central player in Africa–Canada trade and investment relations.
For Zamfara, the mission goes beyond diplomacy.
Sources within the state government describe the trip as a deliberate economic offensive a calculated push to attract foreign direct investment, secure development funding, and drive technology transfer into key sectors.
Governor Lawal is expected to pitch Zamfara as a rising destination for agribusiness expansion, strategic minerals exploitation, digital innovation, and human capital development, as the state seeks to reposition itself on Nigeria’s economic map.
Also part of Nigeria’s delegation are heavyweight political and economic actors, including Anambra State Governor Charles Soludo, Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum, Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani, Plateau State Governor Caleb Muftwang, as well as Foreign Affairs Minister Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Industry, Trade and Investment Minister Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, and Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo.
With global investors watching closely, the Toronto summit is shaping up to be a defining moment one that could either cement Nigeria’s economic ambitions on the global stage or expose the gaps in its investment narrative.
