Governor Abdullahi Alhaji Sule of Nasarawa State has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for implementing what he described as bold economic reforms, saying the measures have increased the state’s monthly allocation from the Federation Account from about N4.5 billion to approximately N16 billion.
Sule made the disclosure in Lafia, the state capital, while receiving members of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors National Media Tour, led by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
The team, comprising presidential media aides and more than 50 senior journalists, is on a nationwide inspection tour of federal and state government projects across the North-Central states.
According to Sule, the increase in federal allocations has provided Nasarawa State with greater fiscal space to execute major projects and respond more effectively to the developmental needs of its citizens.
“For us in Nasarawa State, we are very transparent. I came from the private sector, so every contract I give, I announce the amount that we are spending on that contract, so that people can now see the difference with the kind of money we are receiving,” the governor said.
He recalled that during the early years of his administration, the total monthly revenue shared among the three tiers of government was between N590 billion and N620 billion, while Nasarawa State received between N3.8 billion and N4.5 billion monthly from the Federation Account.
Sule said the relatively low revenue constrained the state’s ability to undertake major capital projects and adequately address the needs of its people.
The governor acknowledged that the removal of fuel subsidy and other economic reforms introduced by the Tinubu administration created significant difficulties in their initial stages but praised the President for taking what he described as politically difficult decisions in the interest of the country.
He stressed the importance of effective communication in helping Nigerians understand the rationale behind government policies, particularly reforms that may cause short-term hardship but are intended to strengthen the economy and improve the capacity of governments to provide public services.
Sule said President Tinubu had “taken the bullet” on behalf of the states and local governments by implementing the reforms, thereby creating greater fiscal capacity for the three tiers of government.
“Today, we are beginning to see the benefits because the resources available to us have increased tremendously,” he said.
According to him, the additional resources have enabled his administration to undertake major projects across the state, particularly in road infrastructure, industrialisation, education, healthcare and water supply.
The governor also commended the Renewed Hope Ambassadors National Media Team for embarking on the inspection tour, describing it as an opportunity for Nigerians to see the impact of government policies and projects beyond official narratives.
He said the tour would enable members of the public to assess first-hand the projects being executed by the Federal and Nasarawa State Governments and determine the extent to which the Renewed Hope Agenda is translating into development at the grassroots.
During the visit to Nasarawa State on Saturday, the media team inspected the completed multi-billion-naira state secretariat housing the Ministries of Education, Housing and Urban Development, Health and Justice, as well as the one-megawatt solar farm powering the secretariat along Shendam Road.
The team also inspected the completed 16-kilometre Makurdi bypass in Lafia, which links Nasarawa and Benue states; the Wing Commander Abdullahi Ibrahim Vocational and Skills Acquisition Centre; the multi-million-naira Shinge Waterstorm Channel; and the completed Kilema Bridge along the Lafia-Doma Road.
Onanuga commended President Tinubu for what he described as the courage to remove the fuel subsidy and implement other economic reforms that successive administrations had acknowledged as necessary but repeatedly postponed.
He recalled that shortly after assuming office in 2023, Tinubu announced the removal of the fuel subsidy and subsequently introduced the floating of the naira and the unification of multiple exchange rates.
According to Onanuga, the reforms initially triggered inflation and widespread economic hardship, but the government remained committed to the measures.
“I must thank His Excellency, Governor Sule, for supporting the President at that moment. I watched him on television when he said that what the President had done was something that should be commended and that the President actually took the bullet for the sub-nationals,” Onanuga said.
He added that the reforms had helped to free up resources that state governments had long sought to use for development.
Also speaking during the inspection of the Makurdi bypass, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Public Enlightenment, AbulAziz AbdulAziz, said the scale of infrastructure development witnessed across Benue and Nasarawa states was an indication that the Renewed Hope Agenda was making an impact.
The inspection tour is part of efforts by the Renewed Hope Ambassadors National Media Team to showcase projects and programmes being implemented by governments across the country.
