Skip to content Skip to left sidebar Skip to right sidebar Skip to footer

Latest News

Nasarawa State Government Signs Pact With UKNIAF On Gudi Industrial Hub, Others.

Nasarawa State Government and the United Kingdom Nigeria Infrastructure Advisory Facility (UKNIAF), have signed a Public Private Partnership for the establishment of the 450 hectares Gudi Industrial Hub, as well as a 4000-bed student’s hostel at the Nasarawa State University Keffi (NSUK).

The agreement between the two bodies were signed at a ceremony in Abuja, on Thursday.

Speaking shortly after signing the agreement, Nasarawa State Governor,  Engineer Abdullahi Sule, restated the commitment of his administration to develop the state and its people.

According to Engineer Sule, the PPP agreement with UKNIAF, was a fallout of the reforms introduced by his administration geared towards boosting the confidence of private investors, especially in the area of sustainability of project.

“In Nigeria, most times without sustainability that is how projects are killed. That is the reason why all aspects of our vision we want to back them by law so that somebody don’t just wake up tomorrow and say I don’t like this and kills it. Because people are going to invest their resources into this and they will want some level of sustainability,” he state.

The Governor explained that his experience from the Dangote Group,  with investments across 14 African countries,  informed the decision of his administration to back all the systems and processes established during the past four years,  to be backed by law, in order to guarantee sustainability of project.

United Kingdom Nigeria Infrastructure Advisory Facility (UKNIAF), a power sector and infrastructure finance development programme funded through the Overseas Development Assistance (ODA), and delivered by the Foreign Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO).

Sally Woolhouse, Head of Economic Development, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), said with the signing of the agreement, UKNIAF and the Nasarawa Investment Development Agency (NASIDA), will be collaborating to develop climate smart infrastructure projects and unlock critically private financing for the development of the state.

“The support is provided through the UKNIAF which is our flagship infrastructure and energy programme.  It is central to the long standing partnership between the UK and Nigeria on infrastructure.

“Infrastructure is critical to economic growth and transformation. The PPP offers the opportunity to leverage that important private sector capital. No state government can do that on their own but to accelerate infrastructure development and help meet the needs of citizens,” she said.

She explained that Nasarawa State was chosen for the project mostly because of the reforms introduced by the state government under the leadership of Engineer Sule in the area of ease of doing business.

“We are very excited to be working with you given the positive context we can run a programme such as this. It’s not coincidence that those things go together. But equally we see the need for infrastructure in addressing climate change both in terms of decarbonizing the economy, also increasing resilience to impact,” Sally added.

Earlier, in an opening remarks,  Prof Chidiebere Onyia, Managing Director UKNIAF,  said five key reforms initiated by the Engineer Sule administration, were the catalyst that is facilitating the PPP agreement between UKNIAF and Nasarawa State.

Prof Onyia particularly mentioned the development of the Nasarawa Economic Development Strategy (NEDS),  evolving a PPP framework backed by law, with Nasarawa State among the few states to initiate the policy, establishment of NASIDA, an agency constituted beyond the  state for sustainability and most significantly, establishment of Nasarawa Infrastructure Fund, as well as instituting a high-powered investment advisory council chaired by the Governor.

“These five high level processes and systems, are part of the reasons why it was not difficult for us to select Nasarawa State

“The work that we are doing with your team is something that is quite remarkable.  UKNIAF,  on the leadership side, we really appreciate your forthrightness, even in giving us the necessary data to begin to think about the pipelines

“One thing we have learnt over the years in engaging with some state governments and governors,  is that they are not always forthright in what is not there. They paint glossy picture when we begin to dig deep, we found out that things are not there. That has not been the case with you, you have always been open. That is why we are commiting to work with Nasarawa State,” he state

Also speaking,  Managing Director/CEO of Nasarawa Investment Development Agency,  Ibrahim Abdullahi,  said the state under Engineer Sule is committed to the partnership for mutual prosperity

Abdullahi assured that,  Nasarawa State will continue to have deliberate policies to ensure that when developers come to the state, communities engage with them and traditional rulers give the necessary support.

 

His Excellency, Engr. Abdullahi A. Sule and Malam Mele Kyari, Group Managing Director of NNPC represent President Muhammad Buhari at the Presidential Flag-off of the Spun-in of Ebenyi-A Well, in Ajibu (Kayarda) Obi Local Government Area, Nasarawa State, on Tuesday 28th March, 2023.

As President Muhammadu Buhari officially flags off the spud-in of the Ebenyi-A Well located in the Middle Benue Trough, in Obi Local Government of Nasarawa State, Governor Abdullahi Sule, has appealed to both the President and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL), to expedite action to develop the field, especially with rising competition from green energy.

Governor Sule made the appeal while flagging off the spud-in of the Ebenyi-A Well, in Ajibu, Obi Local Government Area, on Tuesday.

This is even as the Governor further appealed to the NNPCL to equally adopt the Integrated Field Development it is employing in Kolmani, Gombe State, to develop the Ebenyi-A oil field.

“Let me make this special appeal to you Mr President and of course, the NNPCL. With the strong competition that the fossil oil is getting from green energy, we will to appeal Mr. President, that the NNPCL should expedite action on the development of this field.

“While congratulating the NNPCL once more on the concept of the Integrated Field Development that was just carried out in Gombe, we also pray and hope that the Ebenyi-A field will also experience another IFD,” Engineer Sule stated.

The Governor expressed appreciation to the President, GMD/CEO NNPCL, Malam Mele Kyari and all those who made the spud-in possible.

He equally solicited for the continued support and cooperation of the host community towards ensuring the success of the project.

“I call on our host communities to see this project as your own. I ask you to take ownership to ensure you not only protect the project but the people working on the project. As somebody who has worked in similar conditions, the relationship with the host community is extremely important. The cooperation that we will get from you, will make the people more comfortable to believe that this is also their home,” he stated.

While declaring that the discovery and drilling of oil in Nasarawa State will lead to greater prosperity for Nigerians as well as enhance overall energy security for the country, President Buhari directed NNPCL and its partners to take due care of the environmental consequences of these oil exploration activities and to mitigate the negative effects.

The President recalled that the official commencement of drilling activities in the Middle Benue Trough is in line with ongoing campaigns for the exploration of crude oil and gas in the Nation’s Frontier Basins.

He listed the Chad Basin, Dahomey Basin, Anambra Platform, the Calabar Embankment, Sokoto Basin, Bida Basin, Benue Trough as well as the Ultra-Deepwater Niger Delta as areas where NNPC is extending its crude oil exploration.

‘‘This is consistent with the commercial discoveries of hydrocarbons in the Kolmani Area of the Upper Benue Trough.

‘‘I am pleased to note that activities are currently ongoing to develop the Kolmani petroleum discoveries to commercial production to add to the nation’s considerable hydro-carbon assets.

‘‘I am encouraged by the enormous work done by NNPC Limited to exploit the prospects in the Middle Benue Trough, leading to the event of today.

‘‘I congratulate NNPC Limited, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission and other partners for their immense contributions towards making this day and this event possible,’’ he said, directing Governor Abdullahi Sule and Group CEO, NNPC Limited, Mele Kyari to spud on his behalf.

Earlier speaking, Group Managing Director/CEO of the NNPCL, Malam Mele Kyari pointed out that findings are very indicative of potential commercial hydrocarbon discovery in the area.

The GMD/CEO expressed optimistimism that the positive outcome of the campaign will contribute to increasing the country’s national hydrocarbon reserve from 37bn barrels to 50bn barrels in the short, while also increasing its oil production capacity to the target of 3m barrels per day.

He equally assured stakeholders that NNPCL will conduct its activities in Obi Local Government Area with utmost care and attention to health, safety and environment.

is Excellency, Engr. Abdullahi A Sule met with Managing Director/CEO of AEDC, Engr. Adeoye Fadeyibi on issues of epileptic power supply and increase of bill in Nasarawa State.

Nasarawa State Governor, Engineer Abdullahi Sule, has visited the management of the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC), to convey the complaint of consumers in Lafia, the state capital on shortage of power and high tarrif being.

Engineer Sule visited the AEDC headquarters in Abuja, on Thursday.

According to the Governor, two major issues brought him to the AEDC head office in Abuja namely the shortage of power supply in Lafia, as well as the estimated billing system which is making consumers pay through their noses for power.

He described as really amazing that Lafia consumers now have the worst power supply even with the Akurba power substation is working, with some consumers having less than four hours power supply daily.

“We were thinking that with the Akurba substation and that we have been moved to Band A, we should be getting at least 20 hours daily. I’m a witness because I use the same power, there are some people in Lafia getting somewhere between two to three hours daily,” he stated.

Engineer Sule traced the genesis of the complaints on high tarrif being charged by consumers to the unavailability of meters, resulting in estimated billing.

“The problem is that because we don’t have meters, we are now getting high rates. People who use to pay anywhere between 4 or 5 thousand, now pay twenty thousand. They have the worst power supply after we have the substation. They have nobody to blame than AEDC,” he added.

The Governor decried a situation where consumers in Lafia could take to the streets in order to register their grudges over the power situation, stressing that his administration will do everything necessary in order to sustain the relative peace across the state.

“When the matter came to me first, I told them not to worry, that any time I am in Abuja, I will visit the AEDC. In Nasarawa so far, we have been lucky to have a peaceful state and I will do anything possible to maintain it that way. But when people become agitated and I am their servant, I will take the opportunity to go all the way to ensure that the matter is addressed,” he stated.

The Governor used the opportunity of the visit to plead with the AEDC management to provide meters for consumers in the state, which will go a long way to address the issue of estimated billing.

“I want to plead with you on the meter, to see the possibility of people getting meters. That way people will pay what they consume. Which is fair in life. If you do that, the people are willing to pay for the power they consume,” he said.

Engineer Sule informed the AEDC management that his administration bought over 200 transformers last year, while also spending another N500m to bring electricity to the area housing the newly constructed federal secretariat that will be commissioned next month by President Muhammadu Buhari.

He adviced the company to see to the rehabilitation of the small power substation located along Shendam Road, which has been down for a long period, adding that, if rehabilitated, the substation will facilitate for the company to shed some of its load.

Managing Director/CEO of the AEDC, Engr. Adeoye Fadeyibi, immediately directed for the supply of meters to Nasarawa State starting from next week.

While thanking the Governor for the visit, he said the company will look into the issues raised during the visit.

hack forum