Nasarawa’s Rising Revenue, Expanding Projects: Sule Credits Tinubu Reforms as Media Tour Assesses Development

Governor says higher federal allocations have widened the state’s fiscal space, while Renewed Hope media team inspects major infrastructure projects

By Okwo Romeon

Governor Abdullahi Alhaji Sule of Nasarawa State has attributed the increase in the state’s monthly allocation from the Federation Account to economic reforms introduced by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, saying the additional resources have created greater room for the state government to invest in infrastructure and public services.

Sule made the remarks in Lafia 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.

Governor Sule in handshake with his Guest at government House Lafia

The media team, comprising presidential media aides and more than 50 senior journalists, is undertaking a nationwide tour to inspect federal and state government projects across the North-Central region.

According to the governor, Nasarawa’s monthly allocation, which he said previously ranged between about ₦3.8 billion and ₦4.5 billion, has risen to approximately ₦16 billion following changes in the country’s revenue structure and the implementation of economic reforms by the Federal Government.

Sule said the difference had provided his administration with greater fiscal capacity to undertake capital projects and address pressing development needs.

“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.

Reforms and Fiscal Capacity

Sule acknowledged that the removal of fuel subsidy and other economic measures introduced by the Tinubu administration initially generated significant hardship and public concern.

However, he argued that the reforms were necessary to address longstanding structural challenges and improve the resources available to the three tiers of government.

The governor said President Tinubu demonstrated political courage by taking responsibility for decisions that previous administrations had recognised as necessary but had been reluctant to implement.

He also stressed the importance of communicating government policies effectively, particularly when reforms involve short-term difficulties in pursuit of longer-term economic objectives.

According to Sule, the President “took the bullet” on behalf of states and local governments by implementing reforms that eventually increased the resources available for sub-national governments.

“Today, we are beginning to see the benefits because the resources available to us have increased tremendously,” he said.

The governor linked the additional resources to ongoing investments in roads, industrial development, education, healthcare and water infrastructure across Nasarawa State.

Inspecting Projects Beyond Official Statements

The media tour provided an opportunity for journalists to move beyond government statements and inspect some of the infrastructure projects being implemented in the state.

Among the projects inspected was the completed Nasarawa State Secretariat complex, which accommodates the Ministries of Education, Housing and Urban Development, Health and Justice.

The delegation also inspected a 1-megawatt solar farm serving the secretariat along Shendam Road.

Other projects visited included the completed 16-kilometre Makurdi bypass in Lafia, which provides a link between Nasarawa and Benue states; the Wing Commander Abdullahi Ibrahim Vocational and Skills Acquisition Centre; the Shinge Waterstorm Channel; and the completed Kilema Bridge along the Lafia-Doma Road.

The inspection was designed to provide the journalists with an opportunity to assess the physical state of projects and their potential impact on communities.

Onanuga Defends the Reform Agenda

Speaking during the visit, Bayo Onanuga defended the economic policies of the Tinubu administration, particularly the removal of fuel subsidy and the unification of the foreign exchange market.

He said successive governments had acknowledged the need for such reforms but repeatedly postponed them.

“When President Tinubu came in 2023, he initiated some audacious reforms that ought to have been introduced some decades ago,” Onanuga said.

He acknowledged that the reforms contributed to inflation and hardship during their initial phase but argued that economic conditions subsequently began to improve.

Onanuga also recalled Governor Sule’s early public support for the President’s reform programme, particularly the argument that the Federal Government had taken difficult decisions that would ultimately create more resources for sub-national governments.

He said the reforms had effectively freed resources that state governors had long sought to deploy to infrastructure and development.

Assessing the Impact

The visit comes amid continuing debate over the impact of Nigeria’s economic reforms on households, businesses and sub-national governments.

While higher allocations can provide states with greater fiscal space, the effectiveness of increased revenue ultimately depends on how public resources are managed, the quality of projects delivered and their impact on citizens.

For Nasarawa, the projects inspected by the delegation provide tangible indicators of the state government's investment in infrastructure. The longer-term test, however, will be whether such projects are completed to standard, properly maintained and translated into measurable improvements in transportation, healthcare, education, water supply, employment and economic activity.

Governor Sule said his administration would continue to take advantage of the improved fiscal environment to pursue projects capable of addressing the state's infrastructure and development needs.

He also welcomed the media tour, describing it as an opportunity for Nigerians to see government projects beyond official pronouncements and assess how policies are being translated into physical development.

A Broader Test for the Renewed Hope Agenda

The Nasarawa leg of the media tour also placed the Federal Government's Renewed Hope Agenda within the context of state-level development.

At the Makurdi bypass inspection site, 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 demonstrated the impact of the Renewed Hope Agenda.

For the administration, the projects represent evidence that economic reforms and increased public resources are beginning to support infrastructure development.

For citizens, however, the ultimate measure will be practical: whether the roads reduce travel difficulties, whether improved water and electricity infrastructure reaches communities, whether investments in skills development create opportunities, and whether public spending produces sustainable improvements in living standards.

The media tour therefore offers more than a showcase of completed projects. It provides an opportunity for public scrutiny of the relationship between government revenue, policy reforms, project execution and development outcomes.

As Nigeria's economic reforms continue to evolve, Nasarawa's experience illustrates both the opportunity created by increased public revenue and the responsibility that comes with managing those resources effectively.