By Gambo Ahmed, Lafia
Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, has urged residents to sustain peace and unity, saying the state’s stability remains critical to attracting investment and accelerating development.
Sule made the call on Tuesday at Lafia Square during activities marking Nasarawa State’s 30th anniversary, which featured colourful cultural displays by ethnic groups from within the state and neighbouring states.
The governor said Nasarawa’s cultural diversity should remain a source of strength, stressing that peaceful coexistence among its ethnic nationalities was essential to harnessing the state’s economic potential.
“Nasarawa State is blessed with people of diverse cultures. I commend the various tribes that exhibited their rich cultural heritage today,” Sule said.
He described the anniversary celebration as a demonstration of peaceful coexistence and urged residents to continue working together for the unity, progress and development of the state.
According to the governor, Nasarawa’s relative peace has helped create an enabling environment for investment, particularly in the solid minerals sector.
Sule said the state is endowed with significant mineral resources, including lithium, and has attracted major investment in mineral processing.
“We cannot enjoy these natural resources if we do not live in peace. No investor will want to invest in an environment affected by crisis,” he said.
He urged residents to make peace a priority, noting that sustainable economic growth and job creation depend largely on a stable environment.
Turning to politics, Sule cautioned residents against politicians who seek to exploit ethnic or other differences for personal political interests.
He called for tolerance and peaceful campaigns ahead of future elections, stressing that political competition should not undermine the unity of the state.
The governor said his administration had expanded revenue-generating opportunities since assuming office in 2019, adding that increased investment had contributed to the state’s economic growth.
Meanwhile, Sule on Monday commissioned a Primary Healthcare Centre and a road constructed by the Chairman of Lafia Local Government Area, Haliru Arabo.
The governor said local councils in Nasarawa had been given considerable autonomy to manage their resources and execute development projects since 2019.
He said several roads constructed by local governments in Wamba, Akwanga, Nasarawa-Eggon and Doma had recently been commissioned, describing the projects as evidence of grassroots development.
Sule commended Arabo for constructing and equipping the health centre without financial support from the state government and urged council officials to remain focused on projects that directly improve residents’ lives.
“Today, we have reached a peak of projects. This is the way to make an impact in the lives of the people,” he said.
The governor also announced plans to resume work on the abandoned Kwandere-Karshi Road, saying the project would be upgraded from surface dressing to a standard asphalt road at an estimated cost of about N40 billion following negotiations.
Speaking at the commissioning, the Nasarawa State Commissioner for Health, Dr Gaza Gwamna, described the new facility as a Level 2 Primary Healthcare Centre equipped to provide immunisation, malaria treatment, antenatal care and delivery services.
Gwamna said assessments by independent verifiers from the Federal Ministry of Health had shown improvements in primary healthcare facilities across the state.
Earlier, Arabo said the new health centre would serve residents of the Government Reserved Area in Lafia, which previously had no such facility.
He said the council embarked on the project as part of efforts to provide infrastructure that would have a lasting impact on residents.
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