Nasarawa State governor, Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, recently had a brief chat with journalists on the benefits derivable by the state for being part of the delegation that accompanied President Muhammadu Buhari on his state visit to the United States of America, USA.
Excerpts below:
Could you give an insight to the benefit derivable to Nasarawa State from your recent visit to the United States?
I think the people of Nasarawa State should thank Almighty God for my having being part of this delegation. Apart from the exposure it has given to me on behalf of the state, I had the privilege to understand the concept of bilateral collaboration and cooperation.
Secondly, it gave Nasarawa State the opportunity to highlight some of its potentials, and some of its needs to the quarters that could better handle such needs and potentials. I made sure that the most important potential the state has got properly introduced to the people in US.
Also, we were able to scout for those that are highly interested in partnering with the state to exploit or together work with us on these potentials for the benefit of Nasarawa and the country at large in terms of revenue generation. But above all, once we get these people to come, it will be another greater opportunity for job creation, wealth creation and employment, which would all be the bye-products of such collaboration.
Nasarawa State having been blessed with abundant solid mineral resources in commercial quantities; how was your discussion in the United States fruitful in the exploitation of these potentials?
The issue of solid mineral has to do with exclusive legislative list; this means virtually everything that had to do with mineral resources is exclusively in the hands of Federal Government.
But the state can have so many benefits from it. The state will benefit from 13 percent derivation. But more importantly, the state is going to benefit tremendously from job creation. Because once the people come to participate in the exploitation of these minerals, a lot of state’s citizens will benefit.
And apart from the general discussion, I was able to identify few entrepreneurs and investors, who have what it takes to actually prospect some of these mineral resources. So I am very sure that in the next few months, Nasarawa State will be amazed with the avalanche of people who will be coming in to collaborate and partner with the state for the purpose of exploiting the mineral resources of the state.
Secondly, we have also discussed power. Power happens to be the focal point of any industrial development and without that the pace of development will be stagnated. I was able to contact some of the best outreach globally, who have experience in providing renewable energy within the Africa continent and they appear to be very ready to come to Nasarawa State for two reasons.
One, because of the solar provision of our potentials; which is more than 70 percent available. Secondly, with Al-Makura that initiative, Nasarawa State, being close to the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, will open a lot of unlimited opportunities for commercial activities. And one that I make sure of was issue of interest of cottage industries.
Those industries are not going to require too much energy and solar energy could power such industries. Very soon, you will see not only exploitation of solid minerals but also provision of solar energy across the state, where people who do little small businesses that don’t require intensive energy will have the leverage to expand the scope of their businesses.
What other issues were you opportuned to table during the visit for intervention by the United States?
As you are all aware that the American government and other advanced countries have that trust that once there is a discussion and it is backed up with facts, they don’t decline in intervention. In less than 10 days only, they summoned us for a meeting; which was facilitated by the American embassy in Nigeria, where four governors attended and we discussed vividly on their plans towards assisting these states, especially in the area of healthcare delivery system for the benefit of their citizens and we brainstormed with them on that.
It will not be long before they come in with their assistance in our secondary and primary healthcare facilities, which will reach our rural communities where majority of people are suffering and even those who are vulnerable are to as well be given a lift in order to bring development to the entire states.
Luckily for us, Nasarawa State, alongside Lagos State were so far the only two states that the foreign partners have chosen to use as litmus test for their intervention programme in the areas of those who are suffering from diseases like HIV/AIDS by way of supplying them with drugs in that the disease should not continue to be a masquerade in our societies.