By Poor Infrastruct,Unknown

Copyright nigerianeye

Sule spoke on Monday at the 2025 northern Nigeria investment
and industrialisation summit (NNIIS) in Abuja.

Discussions at the summit focused on the theme, ‘Unlocking
Strategic Opportunities in Mining, Agriculture and Power’.

Sule said monthly allocations to the three tiers of
government have quadrupled under President Bola Tinubu’s reforms.

“For the first time in our history, all tiers of government
are sharing more revenue than they ever imagined,” the governor said.

“Over N2.2 trillion was shared this month alone. When I
became governor in 2019, we were sharing between N590 billion and N620 billion.
Today, it is four times that amount.”

On September 17, the federation account allocation committee
(FAAC) announced that it shared a total of N2.22 trillion among the three tiers
of government in August.

The allocation was from a gross total of N3.63 trillion.

Further speaking at the event, the governor said Nasarawa
has leveraged reforms to insist that investors in solid minerals set up
processing plants, leading to the commissioning of a 3,000-metric-tonne-per-day
facility and the completion of another 6,000-tonne plant awaiting inauguration.

He also confirmed oil fields in the state with reserves
estimated at five to seven million barrels, and outlined plans to expand rice
cultivation from 3,300 hectares to as much as 8,000 hectares before the end of
his tenure.

Sule urged northern governors to focus on areas of
comparative advantage, take responsibility for security, and avoid a culture of

“Every state now has the resources to secure its people,” he

“We should stop blaming anybody for our security. If we are
blaming anybody, blame ourselves.”

‘ADOPT TRANSPARENT, INVESTOR-FRIENDLY POLICIES’

Delivering a goodwill message Jani Ibrahim, deputy president
of the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and
Agriculture (NACCIMA), said the summit’s focus was timely.

“Mining, agriculture and power represent the most solid
pillars upon which the economic revitalisation of northern Nigeria must rest,”
Ibrahim said.

“However, unlocking these opportunities requires more than
vision. It demands leadership and commitment at sub-national levels.”

He urged governors to adopt “transparent, investor-friendly
policies, streamline regulatory processes, and guarantee security of life and

The NACCIMA official also called for industrial clusters
around mineral belts, investments in infrastructure, and partnerships to
improve education and skills.

‘NIGERIA’S ECONOMIC ENGINE HELD BACK BY POOR INFRASTRUCTURE’

In his welcome address, Inuwa Yahaya, governor of Gombe and
chairman of the Northern Governors’ Forum, said the region was historically
Nigeria’s economic engine but was being held back by poor infrastructure.

“The backbone of Northern Nigeria’s economy from glorious
times through the early years of independence was agriculture, supported by an
extensive network of rail lines,” Yahaya said.

“Today, the realities remain unchanged. We are blessed with
mineral wealth, fertile land, and vibrant human capital, but without railways,
roads, power, and storage, the full value cannot be realised.”

Yahaya called for reforms in project financing to give
northern entrepreneurs access to credit.

“The current practice where businesses can only qualify if
they provide collateral outside their land and enterprises is exclusionary.
Government and financial institutions must change this,” he said.

On his part, Dauda Lawal, governor of Zamfara, said security
and harmonisation of policies are crucial to attracting investment.

“Investors are not philanthropists. They will not commit
capital where it is not safe,” Lawal said.

“We must integrate our security architectures, share
intelligence in real time, and foster collective policing.

“Beyond that, we must also harmonise policies across the
north to avoid conflicting regulations that discourage investors.”

He said northern states are working on a unified investment
policy to streamline land administration, tax incentives, and regulatory

“By presenting a united, predictable, business-friendly
front, we will be more attractive than any single state acting alone,” he said.

The governor added that reliable electricity is
non-negotiable for industrialisation.

“No nation or region has ever industrialised with
generators,” he added.

“In Zamfara, we are developing solar power plants to service
agricultural processing zones and mining operations. This is a model we can
replicate across the region.”

Lamis Dikko, chairman of the New Nigeria Development Company
(NNDC), said the north must embrace technology to drive development.

“We either innovate or we stagnate,” Dikko said.

“The north has the scale, the youth, the resources, and the
will. What we need is the method and that method is technology. Let us change
the method, and we will change the outcome.”

The NNDC chairman also urged universities to recalibrate
their curricula to reflect advances in artificial intelligence and pledged the
company’s support for partnerships with governments and investors.V

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