President Bola Tinubu has commended Gov. Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State for his effort toward creating a friendly industrial ecosystem that attracts investment, create employment and stimulate innovation.
The president gave the commendation while delivering his speech at the opening ceremony of the second Nasarawa State Business Summit on Wednesday in Lafia.
Tinubu represented at the occasion by Dr Doris Uzoka-Anite, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, said the summit marked a milestone in the state’s journey toward economic transformation.
The President added that Nasarawa State has a potential for economic growth given its strategic location and endowment in natural resources.
Tinubu said that the policies and programmes implemented by Gov. Sule had fostered a business friendly environment and was the reason many investors want to do business in the state.
“Investment in infrastructure and promoting value addition in key sectors such as agriculture, mining and energy had shown that the Nasarawa State was dedicated to providing an enabling business environment.
“Last week, the Nasarawa State celebrated a significant milestone with the lunch of a 4000 tones per day lithium processing plant.
“This is a testament to its readiness for investment as the achievements had underscored the state reputation as investment destination,” President Tinubu added.
The president used the occasion and urged other governors to emulate governor Sule’s example by intensifying efforts towards attracting investment to their states.
He further said that initiative such as the summit are pivotal to showcase the vast opportunities and potential to woe investors in different sectors to the state.
“We are proud with Nasarawa State government, particularly with the strides it had made in the mining sector by ensuring that their lithium were developed and processed before exported,” he added.
The president therefore, pledged that the Federal Government would continued to support all states to promote their significant potentials in Agriculture and Solid Minerals.
On his part, Gov. Sule welcomed the President, Vice President, President of African Development Bank and captains of industries for being part of the summit to showcase the mineral resources potential of the state.
Sule said that first edition of the summit was organised in 2022 and the outcome had attracted a lot of investments into the state.
He listed some the investments attracted by the first summit to includes; Avatar New Energy Materials Company Limited, ASGARD Mining and Processing Plant, Karu, the Nasarawa Technology Village Project in Karu among others.
The governor added that the Ebenyi-A Oil well commissioned in Obi Local Government Area had put the state among comity of oil producing states and the benefits would manifest in nearest future.
“I, therefore, call on the investors on Oil and Gas to take opportunity of the exploration activities to begin to invest in the sector for the benefit of the society.
“To ensure full utilization of our potentials, we will sustain the investment summit in order to further showcase other solid mineral resources which are yet to be identified by interested investors.
Also speaking, Ibrahim Abdullahi, Managing Director of Nasarawa State Investment Development Agency (NASIDA) said that the summit was not to celebrate what the state had achieved, but in anticipation of greater accomplishment.
He explained that the policy document of the state, ‘Nasarawa Economic Development Strategy (NEDS) was the driving force towards the initiation and implementation of various programmes and policies which the government have achieved so far.
He therefore, called on captains of industry to take advantage of the enabling environment and potential of the state in solid minerals and agriculture among others and invest in any sector.
The theme of the 2024 business summit is Industrial Renaissance.