Goodluck Edafe Obaroighoror 
Our County Nigeria is blessed with natural and human resources. Human capital of any Country contributes its greatest asset. This is because it is human that organize all other factor of production – land, labour, Capital into production ventures.
Historical excursion into such developed Countries of the world like America, Germany, France, Britain, Japan have shown a direct relationship between human resources and industrialization. The more industralized a Country, the high it’s level of development and standard of living of its people
Among Nigeria’s top 50 Chief Executives of The Year 2025, is Ibrahim Abdullahi- Nasarawa state-born United Kingdom trained commercial lawyer. He is Managing Director of Nasarawa State Investment Development Agency, (NASIDA). The agency driving the delivery of the Nasarawa State Economic Development Strategy and coordinating investments iniatives of the Nasarawa state governor, Engineer Abdullahi Alhaji Sule.
In four years, Nasarawa State Investment Development Agency (NASIDA), has attracted over $1.8bn U.S Dollars under the pragmatic leadership of Barrister Ibrahim Abdullahi through hardwork and diligent implementation of the initiatives of governor Sule with his dedicated team players.
“Over the past four to five years since our creation in 2021. We have attracted a lot of investments both foreign and domestic. Over these years the portfolio of investments we have attracted in these period is over $1.8bn U.S Dollars. Some of these investments have been actualized” Ibrahim said.
Nasarawa state with the acronym ‘Home of Solid Minerals’ is foundly described as investment destination because of the number of investments in the state due largely to the business friendly environment put in place by the governor Abdullahi Sule led All Progressive Congress (APC) administration in the state. In 2024, president Ahmed Bola Tinubu inaugurated one of the largest lithium processing factorties build by Avatar New Energy Minerals Company Limited located at a siren hinterland of Kama Otto in Nasarawa local government Area of the state.
The state presently itches to unveiling yet another large Lithium processing factory in the state to be performed by president Ahmed Bola Tinubu in no distant time. Besides, there are a number of money-spinning investments spread across the length and breath of Nasarawa state both in agriculture and mining courtesy of the business friendly environment put in place by the present administration in the state.
In January 2025, vice president Kashim Shettima layed the foundation stone for the construction of investment center (One-stop-shop) in Lafia, the state capital during his official visit to the state. Kashim also inaugurated other lagacy projects executed by the governor Abdullahi Sule administration. Today, Nasarawa is on top of the four states contributing significantly in revene to the federation account in mining alone. The state is blessed with vast minerals deposits includ- ing lithium, Gold, Limestone, Zink, Barytes, Gypsum, Marble and host of others.
In few decades to come, it willl be a very difining time for the state giving the quantum of investments and the speed of development driven by the industrialization initiatives of the present administration in the state. ” Well, i think that this is just a starting point for Nasarawa state. As i have mentioned earlier we have over the past five to six years experienced audacious set of reforms for the business environment. I believe that the next decade will be a very defining decade for Nasarawa state. Lithium and minerals processing would have picked up. Oli production would have picked up in the Obi axis.
There will be increased agricultural production, not.jus production but processing and value addition. We wil have a lot of teaming pupolation of skilled yound people” Ibrahim said. The impressive achievements recorded by the Nasarawa State Investment Development Agency so far reflects the commitment of the governor Abdullahi Sule administration in industrializing the state and puting it on the path of sus- tainable growth and economic prosperity and wholistic development.
HOW NASIDA WAS CREATED
“NASIDA is a child of necessity. In 2019, Governor Abdullahi Sule came into office with a very ambitious plan to revitalize the economy of Nasarawa State, le- veraging private sector capital and expertise.To drive this very bold and ambitious transformation, there needed to be a vehicle to do this. To this effect, the governor created NASIDA and gave us a marching order and a mandate to really translate his vision into reality” The Managing Director said.
STRIDES IN INVESTMENTS
“We’ve achieved a lot. We have been implementing the most robust reforms of the state’s business environment to attract investments. NASIDA as an entity does perform some key functions. One is investment promotion and facilitation.
That is hand-holding investors and attracting investments into the state. Investment management, i.e. managing the state’s investments and looking at ways to optimize the state’s assets to yield profits and economic growth for the state. “NASIDA works on enabling business environment.
That is everyday looking at the barriers to doing business and how we can unblock those barriers through reforms, through government policies and through effective coordination of business-related MDAs in government.The final thing we do is that we serve as the governor’s delivery unit, spearheading the delivery of the Nasarawa Economic Development Strategy of Governor Abdullahi Suley. ” Over the past 4 to 5 years since our creation in 2021, we came into effect in 2021 precisely.
We have attracted a lot of investments both foreign and domestic. Over these years, the portfolio of investments we have attracted in this period is over 2 billion USD. Some of these investments have been actualized. “Some of them are still in the pipeline, as you know. Investment activities require long-term planning and so on. Some of our notable achievements over these years include the socialization of an investment platform, i.e. the Nasarawa Investment Summit, which has since attracted a lot of investments into the state” Ibrahim stated.
” The inaugural one was in 2022. Subsequently, we did it in 2024. We host it every other year. As I said, in real-time commitment, we have attracted over 1.8 billion USD in 4 years. Over the past year or so, we have implemented a plethora of reforms to improve the business environment. We have strengthened the state’s framework for public-private partnerships, which is really key to unlocking the state’s economic growth. There are a number of PPP.
BOOST IN AGRICULTURE
“Just recently, Silvex International witnessed yet another ground-breaking PPP. We put the hardest at the state’s farm. In our partnership with Silvex to produce Nassau co-rice, we have also secured a lot of technical assistance from development partners, the Agra Technical Assistance for the Nassau State’s Agricultural Plan and Agricultural Investment Plan.
The Nasarawa state Climate Investment Platform by the African Climate Foundation, and a host of others.We have generated direct revenues for the state in excess of 10:$1.8bn U.S Dollars. We have created a number of jobs through the initiatives, the PPPs, and the investments that we have attracted.
WORKING FOR NASARAWA’S PROGRESS
“NASIDA sits at the core of new image, the new position that Nasarawa State occupies within the Nigerian economy. Since coming into office, the governor has declared the state’s GDP. This is also shown in real-time meaningful de- velopment for the state, be it infrastruc- ture, be it human capital development. These are all deliberate plans that are in the Nasarawa economic development strategy” He said.
SURMOUNTING CHALLENGES
“Well, I really don’t think that we have a challenge of insecurity in Nasarawa State. We’ve been blessed with a lead- er that understands the importance of peace and carrying everybody along. So we’ve enjoyed relative peace, which has made it even easier for us to market the state for investments. ”
I mean, there are other challenges like stakeholder engagements, managing our stakeholders, and for them to under- stand the imperative for a lot of these investment projects which are long-term projects and require a deliberate effort, a concerted effort to educate the citizens.
We’ve also had investments that have not yielded results or that have failed because we haven’t had good partners in them. So that’s also another challenge” Said NASIDA MD. “And we also continue to seek for talent that will help propel our work. As you know, this is a job that requires you to have the most brilliant of people around. We’re trying our best. That’s also a challenge.
DEFINING MOMENTS FOR NASARAWA
“Well, I think that this is just the starting point for Nasarawa. As I’ve mentioned earlier, we have, over the past five to six years experienced the most audacious set of reforms for the business environment I believe that the next decade will be a very defining decade for Nasarawa State.
Lithium and mineral processing would have peaked. Oil production would have peaked up in the Obi axis. There will be increased agricultural production, not just production but processing and value addition. We’ll have a lot of skilled, a teeming population of skilled young people”
“We’ll just generally have a system that is responding to development imperatives. I think that the next ten years will be a very defining moment for Nasarawa. As you know, next year Nasarawa will be 30 years old. And I believe that as a 30-year-old state, Nasarawa State has bounced back. Nasarawa State has taken its rightful place”
WHAT TO BE REMEMBERED FOR
” want to really be remembered for our modest contribution in the new economic revamp of Nasarawa State. We want to be remembered for the role that we have played. We initiated these reforms and initiated ground-breaking ideas that a lot of people didn’t believe in.
But we’ll go a long way in changing the story of the state. One of my personal most profound moments in this office has been the opportunity to inspire and build a new cadre of leaders for the state’s public service. I was very proud of the outstanding contributions of the young people that have been groomed and are being groomed under this institution”
ADVICE TO YOUNG NIGERIANS
“I think, one, we need to join hands to work together and realize that the future is in our hands as young people. But most importantly, we have to prepare for that future through deliberate efforts in our personal development that will invariably contribute to our collective development.
The world is changing. The ideas of the old days are no longer tenable. So we need to prepare for the challenges that the 21st century is posing” “We need to equip ourselves with the right skills and the skill sets to be able to seize the opportunities that the world is preventing”
