Nasarawa residents‘ll enjoy our industrial renaissance- Gov. Sule

By Ismail Abdulaziz
Gov. Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa says the inauguration of the state’s 4,000 metric tonnes per day Lithium Processing Plant in May will benefit residents of the state.

Sule said this on Tuesday in Abuja during at a news conference on the forthcoming 2024 Nasarawa Investment Summit (NIS) scheduled from May 15 to May 16 in Lafia, the state capital.

He said the summit with the theme: “The Industrial Renaissance” would leverage the immense industrial, agricultural and mining potential of the state.

“Definitely industrialisation plays a major role in economic development, creating employment opportunities, and improving the quality of life of citizens. And these are areas of focus as far as we are concerned in Nasarawa state.”

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Lithium, a highly reactive metal used in energy-dense rechargeable batteries used in cell phones, electric vehicles and grid storage, is gaining interest because of the growing interest in renewable energy by governments across the world. 

He said that a structured strategy of developing skilled workforce to participate in the various industrial project has been set in motion.

“The summit serves as a strategic platform to facilitate robust engagements, interactions, innovation problem solving, and for forging mutually beneficial relationships among key stakeholders, including government, industry leaders, investors and development partners.

“We will also host another edition of MSME Challenge as a way of involving small businesses to challenge the old ways of doing things… to deepen the spirit of entrepreneurship among our teeming youth.” he said.

Sule said that the expected outcomes of the summit for 2024 is going to be intense investment opportunities.

He said: “The PPP arrangement has worked so far from the last summit, and we want to continue to do that and then the infrastructural development. I always have an opportunity to express great appreciation to Mr President because of the policies he came with.

“We have seen improved revenue for every state of the federation and with that, infrastructural development are springing up everywhere including in Nasarawa”.

The governor said some of the expected outcome of the summit would be enhanced investment opportunities, strengthened public private partnership, infrastructure development as well as knowledge exchange and capacity building.

He said that from the 2022 summit, the state had worked out suitable and sustainable partnerships that would stand the test of time.

According to him, some of the benefit of the 2022 summit have started manifesting in terms of inaugurated projects and deals.

Some of the big names that have established industries in the state include Olam Nigeria Ltd, Dangote Sugar Refinery, Azama Nigeria Ltd, Flour Mills Nigeria, Bionas Group, ABS Blueprint Consortium, Prime Global, Beacon Energy, Green Sahara, Diamond Stripes, Barlow & Barrow International Nigeria Ltd, Green and Energy Limited.

Mr Ibrahim Abubakar, Managing Director of the Nasarawa State Investment and Development Agency (NASIDA), said the 2024 summit would build on the gains of the 2022 edition.

Abubakar said that the agency has enjoyed the strong support of the governor in its achievements over the years, adding that the agency would continue to explore such executive encouragement.

He said that stakeholders from the government, development partners as well as national and international investors would be part of the summit.

Also, Mr Muhammed Bello, who represented the Managing Director of the GACN, said the state’s abundant oil and gas reserves was a game changer for the nation.

Bello said the company would liaise with its parent body, the NNPCL, to bring to fruition the massive investment derivable from the sector in the state. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Rabiu Sani-Ali