Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, has expressed delight with his nomination by the LEADERSHIP Group for the Governor of the Year Award 2025, vowing not to take the gesture for granted.
The governor, who paid a glowing tribute to the late founding Chairman of the LEADERSHIP Group, Sam Nda-Isaiah, for his vision in establishing the outfit, said he had followed the organisation’s transformative stride from the formative stage to becoming a leading voice not only in the North but also in the country at large.
He spoke after receiving the nomination letter as Governor of the Year 2025 at the Government House in Lafia yesterday.
Governor Sule said for such a frontline newspaper to consider him for an award is not a mean feat, while praising the organisation for ensuring editorial integrity, which set it apart from its peers.
“Let me sincerely thank you and show you appreciation for this. I’m not taking this award for granted.
“I see so many awards every day, but there are a few awards that I admire, and I have admired the LEADERSHIP Award from a distance. And today, you are telling me I’m one of them. It means so much to me that you have recognised me.
“I have seen people who actually begged before the awards came to them; that’s what I can never do. But there are awards I admire when people on their own identify someone and say, we are giving you such an award, especially the LEADERSHIP, which is an organisation that I have respected. I have always respected your reporting, documentation, investigations, and the way you conduct them. So, with all that, it means so much to me that you are giving me this award, and I want to thank you for that sincerely,” he stated.
Governor Sule was particularly elated with the choice of category for the honour, stressing that he felt fulfilled that his efforts were being recognised, even as he said the honour would spur him to do more.
He decried the collapse of industries in the North, especially the textile industry in Kaduna and other small-scale establishments, which had hitherto employed many across the region and beyond.
He noted that their collapse was part of the factors fuelling insecurity and other vices that the region was currently grappling with.
He said his vision for industrialisation was in tandem with that of the region’s founding fathers, who took advantage of the natural resources within to build the foundation for the future.
Governor Sule pointed out that beyond the exploration of solid minerals, his administration had also been tapping into agriculture for the benefit of the state and its people.
He noted that Nasarawa was on the verge of becoming a leading producer of rice, boasting 3,300 hectares of the crop, with plans for expansion in the next planting season.
Speaking earlier, LEADERSHIP Group’s Vice Chairman, Mr Mike Okpere, said the annual award was designed to appreciate leaders, individuals, and organisations that had positively impacted society.
He said that although Governor Sule was an all-around performer, the organisation decided to honour him for his sterling output in a key area, such as industrialisation.
“What we do at LEADERSHIP is to recognise persons and organisations based on the track records of performance,” he noted.
