President Tinubu Calls On Other States To Emulate Nasarawa State As Second Investment Summit Holds In Lafia

President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called on other States in Nigeria to emulate Nasarawa State with its giant strides especially in the areas of investment in the mining and agricultural sectors.

Speaking at the second edition of the Nasarawa Investment Summit which held in Lafia the Nasarawa State capital on Wednesday (May 15, 2024), the President expressed his delight with the efforts of sub-nationals such as Nasarawa State to drive economic growth in the country.

President Tinubu who was represented at the event by the Minister for Industry, Trade and Investment, Doris Nkiruka Uzoka-Anite, stated the commitment of the Federal Government to continue to provide the enabling environment for businesses to flourish in the country and encouraged investors to bring in their resources.

The President laid emphasis on Lithium saying that Nigeria is set to take advantage of the global demand for the mineral with Nasarawa State playing a key role.

He said: “Lithium is the future and the future is very electrifying. Manufacturers have continue to produce cars and trucks powered batteries rather than fossil fuels.

“Therefore, we as a country must prepare for this, by ensuring we take full advantage of the global demand in lithium by developing more processing plants in Nasarawa and across other states that are rich in lithium and in Nigeria as a whole, while also sustainably developing our lithium deposits.”

The President commended the Governor of Nasarawa State, Engr. Abdullahi Sule for creating an enabling environment which has attracted massive investments in the State one of which was the 4,000 tonnes per day Lithium processing plant built by Avatar New Energy Materials Company Limited in Nasarawa.

In his remarks at the event, Governor of Nasarawa State and chief host, Engr. Abdullahi Sule recognized the commitment of investors whom he described as partners of the State, saying that their presence in the State “offers us the opportunity to continue to map the future of our State as far as the economic landscape is concerned, as the future remains ours and we are relentless when it comes to Nasarawa State.”

Governor Sule also stated that the first edition of the investment summit in 2022 with the theme “Diamond in the Rough” is largely responsible for the influx of investors that are coming to the State.

“The recently commissioned Avatar New Energy Company Limited Lithium Processing Plant, Asgard Mining and Processing Plant in Karu, the Nasarawa Technology Village among others are investments, as a result of the 2022 summit.”

The Governor stressed that, the discovery of oil and its subsequent exploration will further boost the economic prosperity of the country, and put the State among comity of oil producing States in the country.

He particularly called on investors in the oil and gas sector to show more interest in the oil and gas activities in Nasarawa State.

The Governor pledged that Nasarawa State will sustain the investment summit to further showcase the solid mineral resources which are yet to be identified by interested parties.

He was optimistic that, the summit will further expand the State’s existing pathway to leveraging on the industrial, agriculture and mining sectors, towards enhancing inclusive and sustainable wealth creation and economic prosperity.

Earlier on, the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Nasarawa State Investment and Development Agency (NASIDA), Barr. Ibrahim Abdullahi, said the journey so far was as result of the bold step taken and vision, which started 5 years ago.

The NASIDA boss, who enumerated the policy direction of his agency, said the reforms initiated laid the foundation for the Nasarawa Investment Summit and a driving force for the State industrialization and vision.

He said, since the summit in 2022, NASIDA has recorded remarkable progress across sectors, which included increase and steady flow of IGR, launch of Nasarawa Technology Village, expansion and setting up of premium marble processing plant, Nasarawa agro commodity project, Saro Africa sugar project and soon to be launched Green Ville CNG hub in the State for North Central region among other.

Ibrahim said, the 2024 summit was built on the foundation, aimed to attract more investments, cultural irrigation and to solidify the state as a leading industrial hub in Nigeria.