Why Nasarawa will soar under Governor Sule – Ali Abare
I just returned from the 2025 Progressive Digital Media Summit organized by Dada Olusegun, Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to President Ahmed Bola Tinubu on Social Media. I was enthralled by the turn out of who-is-who in the country’s media industry, including my former political editor at the Daily Sun, Mr. Ismail Omipidan. I was however moved by the overriding spirit of patriotism and the yearning for Nigeria to get better.
The summit was apt, particularly at a time when fake news, misinformation and disinformation have become rampant, with certain desperate and unconscionable people working scrupulously to propagate negative and dangerous narrative aimed at undermining governments at both national and subnational levels.
Even though Nigerians have every right to seek to hold government accountable, recent trend on social media however portends grave danger for the progress and unity of the country, as politicians readily avail themselves with the opportunity provided by the new media to launch early campaigns against our government.
Just recently, the social media was on fire with the alleged collapse of the N16bn Ahmed Bola Tinubu Interchange in Lafia, Nasarawa State, with so many online news sites and individuals trending this false narrative. Even after taking out time to deny this fake news by the Nasarawa State Government, the photos of an AI generated bridge continue to trend, seeking to diminish the hard earned reputation of a workaholic Governor Abdullahi Sule.
Indeed, I was delighted to see progressives who desire a better Nigeria come together to share ideas on how to navigate and harness the ever domineering and compelling new media for national development.
The whole essence of the summit was better captured by President Tinubu, who, in his opening speech, charged Nigerians youths to always verify before they amplify on social media.
Even as Nigerians agitate for good governance and much needed dividends of democracy, we must not however allow agents of destruction or even political desperados to waylay us and derail the progress being recorded under the present administration of President Bola Tinubu.
Only some years ago, it was unrealistic to even imagine that a government in Nasarawa State could embark on such capital intensive projects as the Bola Tinubu Interchange or even the multi-billion naira State Secretariat complex. It was really unimaginable. But thanks to President Tinubu, states are currently witnessing improved revenues that is making it possible for governors to embark on gargantuan projects.
The youth and the not-so-young Nigerians that gathered at the digital media summit that held at the State House Banquet Hall, was a testament of the collective resolve to fashion a narrative that would better project the country’s rich cultural diversity but most significantly our tremendous potentials in both human and natural resources.
Nigeria and Nigerians have no business with poverty and despite the challenges posed by banditry, terrorism, kidnapping and various shades of criminal activities, the All Progressives Congress (APC) administrations at both levels are working assidously to move the country and subnational out of the predicament of decades of economic setbacks.
In Nasarawa State, the resourceful and pragmatic leadership of His Excellency, Governor Abdullahi Sule, FNSE, is changing the narrative in good governance and delivering on projects that would outlive the administration.
Through shear commitment, doggedness and unflinching resolve, Governor Sule is religiously pursuing and prudently executing the administration’s economic blueprint for Nasarawa State, as encapsulated in the Nasarawa Economic Development Strategy (NEDS).
Except for those to chose to deliberate manipulate and politicise governance, the fruit of the deliberate and purposeful leadership are there for all to see. The Nasarawa State of today under Governor Sule, is not the same as the Nasarawa of yesteryears.
Just recently, during an expanded state executive council meeting, and in his characteristic openness and transparency, Governor Sule announced further breakthroughs in the development strides of his administration.
The Governor revealed that the biggest lithium mining company in Nigeria, bigger than the Avarta Lithium Mining and Processing plant also in Nasarawa State, has been completed and is ready for commissioning.
Further to that, he purposely visited the 6000 tons per day capacity processing plant, the Diamond New Energy Lithium Processing Plant in Endo community of Nasarawa LGA to ensure the readiness of the plant for inauguration.
Again, during the expanded executive council meeting, Governor Sule announced that Nasarawa State has emerged the best state under the World Bank assisted NG-CARES programme, with the state receiving a whopping N9.835bn in grants. Out of the four assessments so far carried out by the World Bank under the NG-CARES programme, Nasarawa has so far clinched the first position three times while coming second once.
Following the call by President Tinubu for state governors to ‘wet the ground’ as a result of the increased revenues coming to the states, Governor Sule outlined key interventions to be deliberated by the council, which when approved, would seek to address the plight of the citizens of the state.
Recall that before the advent of the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Tinubu-led administration, the 36 states of the federation used the share somewhere around N6bn monthly but now the states share approximately N1.8 trillion, which translates to three times the amount they previously share.
Specifically, Governor Sule mentioned that his administration would deploy the increased revenues to address the plight of pensioners in the state by increasing the amount meant to pay their gratuities.
The Governor agreed to pay off all citizens of the state that were illegally employed by the suspended Teachers Service Commission, after a consultant hired to rationalise the botched teachers recruitment exercise discovered more than 3000 teachers were employed instead of the approved 1000.
“We have to also look at the payment of all those innocent TSC teachers that have been employed and that we have not paid them. We will pay all those young people for engaging them for that period. It was illegal. It was wrong. But in the spirit of relieving people out of difficulties we are looking at that as an option,” he said.
In the area of agriculture, which remains one of the cardinal policy thrust of the administration, Governor Sule announced that the state government would procure additional fertilizer to be distributed again free of charge to farmers in the state.
In the area of health, another key policy thrust of the administration, he announced further interventions in the areas of provision of HIV testing kits, which were disrupted by the new policy thrust of President Donald Trump.
Also, and most significantly, he said his administration would procure much needed CT-SCAN machines for deployment to public hospitals.
“I have received information that we don’t even have any functional CT-Scan machine in the state. This is an opportunity for us to buy one or two,” he stated.
He added that similar intervention will be carried out in the education sub sector of the state.
Governor Sule spoke on improving the welfare and wellbeing of the vulnerable under the social investment drive of his administration.
“On social investment, we will look at how to support people. We are using what the vulnerable call the A. A Sule money. I have asked the Accountant General to discuss with the Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs if it is also something that we can expand rather than limiting it and increasing the amount rather than what they are getting now,” he said.
Similarly, and within the week, Governor Sule was in Wamba to flag off the construction of the 24.5km Wamba-Wayo-Langi-Alizaga Hill, as well as the second coat surface dressing of the Wamba-Nasarawa Eggon road.
Indeed, with Governor Abdullahi Sule at the helm of affairs in Nasarawa State and President Ahmed Bola Tinubu in charge in Abuja, Nasarawa and Nigeria would continue to witness unprecedented transformation, especially now that the economy of the country is stabilising under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
Let us therefore continue to support Governor Abdullahi Sule and President Ahmed Bola Tinubu for rekindling our hopes in a functional, greater Nasarawa State and Nigeria at large, irrespective of political affiliation, region, creed, tribe or any such social stratification.
Senior Special Assistant on Media to Governor Abdullahi Sule.
Monday, 4th, August, 2025.
