The swearing in of Governor A A Sule as second term governor on Monday May 29th implied that the state falls among the few states with governors that made it back to office despite highly fought elections that was the 2023 general elections.
The implication of ENGR Sule’s Second term is that there will be stability of government against the difficulty that is usually occasioned in transitions from an old administration to a new one. The first term of the governor which witnessed the inauguration and commissioning of landmark projects with it’s minimal resources, will witness more in the next four years.
The state being relatively peaceful and with a unique set of hospitable people, has a lot of potentials to become one of the leading states in the north central if not the country with proper mercenary in place not just by the state, as witnessed in the developmental strides of the current administration but the Federal Government under His Excellency, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
When Nasir El Rufai carried out his cleansing in the Federal Capital Territory FCT as minister during the Obasanjo era, majority of those affected by the demolitions that took place relocated to Karu Local government area of Nasarawa State. This migration has since put so much pressure on the host state. But with such pressures came opportunities for investments and today, Nasarawa State ranks amongst one the states with the most investment opportunities. From miming to agriculture to manufacturing, leisure etc, the state will gradually become a leading state for investments. Very big kudos to the state governor, who being aware of the potentials, organised an investment summit sometimes ago with major investors in attendance.
Being aware of major investment opportunities in the state and the attendant benefits it will bring to the Country’s GDP, it is important that President Tinubu and his team look at how they can assist the state in terms of infrastructures and other benefits that can be explored to the benefit of the state which fortunately, shares an active border with the FCT.
I am not a Nasarawa person by birth, but I reside and practice in the state and understand the pains and sufferings of the people of the state which is a gateway state to many states in the country I earnestly pray that things will be out in place to better the lives of the people and improve the infrastructural needs of the state.
Aware of the pressure on the government, the state government has gone ahead to build an international market at Karu named after the former president of the country Muhammadu Buhari. There is also an ultramodern motor terminal called the Sani Abacha Bus Terminal also at Karu. Presently, the state also boasts of the largest rice farm in Africa. The farm which covers a total land mass of 6,000 hectares was officially opened for production in Rukubi village, Doma local government area by former president Goodluck Jonathan in 2014. Last year
Multiverse Mining and Exploration Plc, the only listed mining company on the Nigeria Stock Exchange (NSE), announced it was investing $100m in Nasarawa State. Before the announcement, the company said it has already invested over $70 million and has concluded plans to install a floatation plant worth $100 million, as a response to the call by the Federal Government for investors to add value to mineral resources before export. The state is littered with solid minerals earning it the name HOME OF SOLID MINERALS.
Various states with intentions of expanding their revenue potentials through the vast opportunity created by the abundance of agricultural and solid minerals opportunities can also key in by reaching memorandum of understanding with the state. It will definitely be a win win situation for them. It happened between Lagos State government and Kebbi state government and this can also be a good idea for Nasarawa State considering it’s potentials and geographic location.
With all these opportunities, the state craves to witness a surge of infrastructural and housing projects amongst others, from the Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration to augment the efforts of the state government which is obviously being drawn to it’s limits.
Ogbu Francisca Esq contributed this piece from Maraba, KARU Local Government Area of Nasarawa State
