Education, security, healthcare delivery and agriculture form the bedrock of a thriving society. They significantly shape citizens’ lives and determine a state’s economic trajectory.
In Nasarawa State, Governor Abdullahi Sule’s administration has consistently demonstrated its commitment to these critical sectors with the aim to drive meaningful change in for the citizens.
Employing initiatives targeted at enhancing education, security, agriculture, and healthcare, the Sule-led administration is empowering citizens with knowledge, skills, and opportunities.
Clearly, by investing in these key areas, the government is fostering a brighter future, promoting stability, prosperity, and competitiveness in the State.
In order to bring the undiscerning mind into the right perspective, the Senior Special Assistant ( SSA) to Governor Sule on Public Affairs Hon Peter Ahemba, revealed that the Governor has made significant progress in education, security, health care delivery and agriculture.
The SSA speaking recently during a bimonthly Press Conference at the Nigeria Union of Journalists ( NUJ) Press Centre, Hon Ahemba said the interaction was towards showcasing the positive impact on the lives of citizens and the state’s development pathway.
According to Ahemba, the State Government under the leadership of Governor Sule has partnered the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) to construct 30 new secondary schools across the state’s 13 local government areas.
He said the project, supported by the Federal Ministry of Education and the World Bank, will improve secondary education, particularly for adolescent girls.
Hon Ahemba explained further that the project includes the construction of 15 junior secondary schools and 15 senior secondary schools, in addition to renovating existing structures.
” The AGILE project has also successfully re-enrolled over 16,000 out-of-school adolescent girls and plans to recruit over 1,000 teachers,” he added.
He said Governor Sule has paid for the registration of 24,000 final-year students in public secondary schools across the state for the 2025 National Examination Council (NECO) examination.
According to Ahemba, the initiative, which covers both indigenes and non-indigenes enrolled in public schools, aims to ease the financial burden on parents and ensure that no eligible student is left out of the crucial examination due to lack of funds.
“This is a deliberate effort by the Sule-led administration to promote access to education and alleviate financial hardship on students and their families.
“Because of the state government’s huge investment in the education sector, Nasarawa State was ranked ninth best nationally and second best in the North-Central zone in the 2024 NECO performance index,” he explained.
The SSA stated further that following series of attacks in neighboring Benue and Plateau States, Governor Sule, who doubles as Chairman of the North Central Governors forum, has ordered the deployment of security operatives to border communities in the State to protect lives and property of citizens.
Hon Ahemba explained that the deployment is aimed at intensifying surveillance and ensuring adequate and stronger patrol of the border corridors.
He added that Governor Sule had earlier convened an expanded emergency security meeting with traditional rulers, religious leaders, and community representatives from affected areas and resolved to carry out a joint security operation to protect the region.
He reaffirmed government’s commitment to safeguarding Nasarawa, with several measures in place for sustainable peace, especially with the farming season fast approaching.
“With the farming season fast approaching, we must show adequate commitment to the protection of our border communities so that residents can go about their normal activities without fear,” he said.
In the agriculture sector, the SSA said government was also supporting the farmers by procuring and distributing fertilisers to farmers for the current farming season.
Hon Ahemba urged farmers to prepare for the new season, saying, “Nasarawa State is an agrarian state and government was making efforts to ensure that our farmers are supported towards ensuring bumper harvest within the current season.”
In the healthcare sector, the government plans to relocate the Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital to Akwanga Local Government Area of the state.
Hon Ahemba noted that a committee has submitted a report recommending a budget of over N2 billion for facility procurement, manpower enhancement and relocation, even as he assured that government will study the report and take necessary actions without delay.
