Governor Abdullahi Sule from Nasarawa State shared some big news. The money the state makes on its own (Internally Generated Revenue) has grown a lot! It jumped from N7.7 billion in 2019 to over N20 billion every year now!
Governor Sule told reporters about this over the weekend. He talked about how Nasarawa has lots of things like natural resources and farming opportunities that haven’t been fully used yet.
The governor said Nasarawa has plenty of valuable things like hydrocarbons, minerals, and farming potential. He thinks if they use these things right, Nasarawa could become very rich!
“We are making between N1.3 billion and N1.7 billion every month,” he shared. Agriculture and minerals are helping the state’s economy grow faster.
The governor also talked about a marble site in Gudi where a Chinese company makes tiles and ceramic items. Plus, Nasarawa has Nigeria’s largest plant for processing lithium!
“You will be amazed if you visit our lithium processing plant,” he said, highlighting the growing mineral businesses in Nasarawa.
Building Industries
Governor Sule also mentioned big projects in farming. The state has a huge 10,000-hectare farm where they are harvesting lots of rice.
“We are stacking the harvested rice into a big pyramid,” he explained.
The governor talked about a Vocational and Technology Center that will train skilled workers for Nigeria’s industries.
“When Dangote built his refinery, we had to bring 4,000 technicians from India. That’s why I want to train our own skilled workers here in Nasarawa,” Sule explained.
Aside from growing the economy, Governor Sule is also focused on helping women and vulnerable groups improve their lives.
He talked about a new gender policy, which is the first in Nigeria, promoting roles for women in leadership.
“For the first time, Nasarawa has a female Chief Justice and a female Vice-Chancellor,” he proudly announced.
Helping Rural Areas
Sule said they are making sure that rural areas, where a lot of farming and mining happen, get the infrastructure they need.
“Nasarawa’s riches are in the villages. We are focused on including young people, women, and the elderly in our growth plans,” he assured.
Nasarawa doesn’t get a lot of money from the government, but Governor Sule called the state rich in people and resources. They are even exploring oil in Obi Local Government Area.
“Nasarawa is one of three northern states looking for oil. With our resources, we are far from being poor,” he concluded.
Managing Money
Governor Sule also shared how they manage the state’s money well and have avoided borrowing from banks to fund projects.
“Since I took office, we haven’t needed to borrow money. We want to block where money leaks out and find new ways to earn,” he said.
Sule noted how close Nasarawa is to Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, seeing it as a chance to grow. “We want wealthy people in Abuja to invest here in Nasarawa. This is how we plan to expand,” he concluded.