Building Viable Partnerships between the UK and Nasarawa Government

Recently, the United Kingdom High Commissioner to Nigeria, Catriona Laing, was a guest of Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State. Igbawase Ukumba reports that the visit was geared towards fostering viable partnerships in the area of agriculture, mining and infrastructural development

Perhaps, the good approach advanced by the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State on Liaison Office Abuja, Hon Yusuf Jibrin Maianguwa, on the United Kingdom’s High Commissioner to Nigeria, Catriona Laing, gave the diplomat reason to be guest to of Nasarawa governor on September 8, 2021.

This was confirmed by the High Commissioner herself during a courtesy call on Governor Sule in the Government House, Lafia during her two-day working visit to Nasarawa State: “I am opportuned to be here this as a result of an opportunistic meeting I had with the governor’s Senior Special Assistant, Yusuf. He did a very good approach on why I should be a guest to His Excellency, the governor of Nasarawa State.”

Although, she said her office had been planning for the Nasarawa visit for sometime, but COVID-19 scourge had made it difficult as her office had planned. Even as she also said she was really happy to be in Nasarawa on that day.

Laing was excited during her visit over the presentation made by the Director General of Nasarawa State Investment Development Agency (NASIDA), describing it as really professional. But she thought that one of the big challenges with governance in Nigeria was difficulties in translating visions into practical results in the first four years term of elected leaders.

Laing said: “From the presentation, there is bus terminal where I can see for myself the determination to get that innovative project get running as soon as possible. I think that would be transformational for security reasons, decongestion reasons and basic transport services reasons along that road which on a good day, it can take you one hour. While on a bad day, it can take you more than two hours. But I am excited to see many more.”

Consequently, Laing maintained that the government of the United Kingdom was ready to partner the Nasarawa State government in the area of agriculture, mining and infrastructural development of the state. She continued that transformation in agriculture was very important to the United Kingdom, as according to her, “we have very good expertise in that area to partner Nasarawa State.

“There is also a good potential for mining in Nasarawa State. Nasarawa has a very unique posture and comparative advantage especially with its proximity to Abuja. Getting in place the rightful enabling environment and how quickly Nasarawa jumped through the ranks to third position in investment flow in the country is quite amazing. Therefore, we would look for areas to partner Nasarawa State.”

However, further partnership with the government and people of the United Kingdom, particularly in the areas of agriculture, manufacturing, mining, agriculture and education were what Governor Sule had conversely sought for when he played host to the United Kingdom High Commissioner to Nigeria, Catriona Laing.

While noting that Nasarawa State and Nigeria as a whole, will continue to benefit from the wealth of the British government and its people, particularly in the area of poverty reduction, healthcare, human capital development, among others, he therefore disclosed to the High Commissioner that his administration was executing a deliberate policy to stimulate the economy, develop the people, create wealth, jobs, as well as putting in place an industrialisation process.

Sule informed the UK Envoy that “My administration is committed to implementing practicable economic transformation strategy, as encapsulated in the Nasarawa Economic Development Strategy (NEDS). It has always been easy to formulate blueprints, but my administration has ensured the practicability of the NEDS, which has already begin to bear fruits, to the benefits of the people.

“My administration is ready to engage in partnerships in order to develop the state and to also engage the best private partnership that will deliver rapid industrialisation and growth.”

To this end, the governor added that the state government instituted series of reforms, ranging from inaugurating the Nasarawa State Investment and Economic Advisory Council, enacting a law for Public Procurement; with the Nasarawa Bureau for Public Procurement, supporting and creating an inclusive transparent and accountable procurement process.

“Others are, setting up the Nasarawa Investment and Development Agency (NASIDA), as a one-stop shop for investment. As well as developing a Public Private Partnership (PPP) framework, through which Nasarawa secured infrastructural projects in the areas of mass housing, education, transport, health, mining and agriculture,” Sule elaborated.

The governor welcomed the UK government’s collaboration in the areas of agriculture, manufacturing, mining, infrastructure and especially education, emphasising that his administration has the vision and willingness to enter into partnerships with a view to developing the state. This was even as the governor added that all the laws necessary to facilitate such partnerships are already in place.

“We are willing, we are ready, we are going to partner with you, as we have always done. We strongly believe we have a lot to learn from you,” the governor told the UK High Commissioner.

Within two years, the Nasarawa Economic Development Strategy (NEDS), has already begun to yield fruits, with the state ranked position 3rd as a top investment destination, having attracted investments worth over USD350 million, as well as recorded significant improvement in Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) among other indices, as revealed by the Director General of the Nasarawa State Investment Development Agency (NASIDA), Barrister Ibrahim Abdullahi, during the two-day visit of Catriona Laing to the state.

“We have a game changer which is being accompanied by our reforms to crystallise these five game changers. There are key reforms that this vision brought to the table.Key of which is the reform of the state civil service, efficient tax and revenue administration, efficient land administration, robust economy and financial management. This is what we describe as New Nasarawa Approach, having government focus on creative and enabling environment for private sector to participate in the state.

“This is anchored on building residents and social protection, enabling the investment climate, promoting a knowledge based economy. This is seen in the various projects and policies His Excellency is promoting.

“Just to highlight also some impacts we have seen over the past two years of implementing the Nasarawa Economic and Development Strategy (NEDS), we have seen improved transparency in governance triggering more donor partnership and commitment.

“We have seen increase in investment flow; Nasarawa has been ranked as the 3rd investment destination in Nigeria. In the last quarter, we ranked thirdly having attracted over USD350 million worth of investment into the state in the mid term of the administration. And of course a significant improvement in our Internally Generated Revenue (IGR),” the NASIDA DG explained further.

But most importantly, according to the DG, “the overall performance in the state index, for instance an economic analysis group ranks Nasarawa State on position 12th in 2020 in the standard of living, as oppose to previous ranking of position 24th in the country. In terms of the business environment, Nasarawa is ranked position 4th as oppose to previous ranking of position 24th in the country.

He continued: “In the economy, Nasarawa ranks 10th position in 2020 as oppose to previous ranking of 11th position. In health care, it is 21st position, as oppose to the previous ranking of 28th. In education, 21st position and the ranking was previously numbered 24th.

“And an overall performance of 18th position was recorded by the state, out of the 36 states of the federation of Nigeria. This was seen just in two years of implementing Nasarawa Economic and Development Strategy (NEDS).”

But because the Sule administration was anchoring its development on Private Partnership Participation and Inclusion, the NASIDA boss concluded that the government of Engr Abdullahi Sule has created and positioned the Nasarawa State Investment and Development Agency as a new investment frontier to put together innovation and other alternative financial mechanisms to finance the state’s developmental aspirations.