Nasarawa Targets Economic Devt, Renaissance Unveils 2nd Investment Summit

The Nasarawa State government is planning to harness the immense industrial, agricultural and mining potential of the state for inclusive and sustainable wealth creation for its citizenry.

The state said it is refocusing its energy and resources into developing the large scale raw materials domiciled in the state, including the full exploration of the oil and gas sector as it gradually comes to fruition.

The state governor, Abdullahi Sule, who made this known during a media briefing to unveil the  2024 Nasarawa Investment Summit tagged “Industrial Renaissance” where expertise in various fields would be tapped to in processing and value chain of all areas with comparative advantage.

The governor said, Public Private Partnership will also be explored to advance the economic fortunes of the State l, particularly in the oil and non oil sectors through win-win situation in mining, agriculture and industrial development

According to him, the #NIS2024, which comes up next month, reflects the aspirations of the state to usher in a new era of industrial growth and prosperity, having built some of the key fundamentals required to drive its industrialisation agenda.

“It signifies a bold commitment to revitalising and modernising the state’s economic landscape, positioning it as a dynamic hub for industry, commerce, and innovation. The theme underscores the state government’s recognition of the pivotal role that industrialisation plays in driving economic development, creating employment opportunities, and improving the quality of life for its citizens.

“Furthermore, “The Industrial Renaissance” theme encapsulates the vision of Nasarawa State to harness its abundant natural resources, strategic location, and skilled workforce to foster a renaissance in industrial activity. It reflects the state’s determination to embrace innovation, adopt best practices, and invest in critical infrastructure to catalyse the growth of key sectors such as manufacturing, agriculture, and mining.

Governor Sule said at the core of the Nasarawa Investment Summit 2024 is the emphasis on regional collaboration and infrastructure development for the state’s industrialisation drive. In line with this, the summit will feature a series of meticulously curated sessions to interrogate the most pressing issues relevant to Nasarawa State’s economic development, as well as a Deal Room where investment grade and bankable projects at different development phases in their life cycle will be showcased for potential investments.

He said there will also be an Energy Business Roundtable in partnership with the NNPC and the Gas Aggregation Company of Nigeria (GACN). The Summit serves as a strategic platform to facilitate robust engagements, interactions, innovative problem solving, and for forging mutually beneficial relationships among key stakeholders, including government, industry leaders, investors, and development partners.

Also speaking, managing director, Nasarawa Investment & Development Agency (NASIDA), Ibrahim Abdullahi said the first edition of the biennial summit, held in March 2022, attracted over 1000 participants, both physically in the state capital, Lafia and virtually.

According to thim, there were investment pledges of about $500m, many of which have reached advanced stages of crystallising.

“Notable among these are the Nasarawa Agro Commodity Project, which has been done and about kicking off; the Nasarawa Technology Village Phase 1 has been launched among others.”

He also said the Green Bill Gas Hub Project will be commissioned just before this year’s summit.