Tinubu’s Reforms Raise Nasarawa’s Monthly Allocation from ₦4.5bn to ₦16bn — Sule

 Governor Abdullahi Alhaji Sule of Nasarawa State has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for implementing what he described as bold and necessary economic reforms, saying the policies have increased the state’s monthly allocation from the Federation Account from about ₦4.5 billion to approximately ₦16 billion.

Sule made the disclosure in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital, while receiving the Renewed Hope Ambassadors National Media Tour team led by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga.

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

According to Governor Sule, the significant increase in federal allocations has provided Nasarawa State with greater fiscal space to execute major development projects and respond more effectively to the needs of its citizens.

The governor, who said he had a background in the private sector, also stressed his administration’s commitment to transparency in the management of public resources.

“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,” he said.

Sule recalled that during the first four years of his administration, monthly allocations shared among the three tiers of government generally ranged between ₦590 billion and ₦620 billion.

He explained that Nasarawa State previously received between ₦3.8 billion and ₦4.5 billion monthly from the Federation Account, limiting the government’s ability to undertake major capital projects.

The governor acknowledged that the removal of fuel subsidy and other economic measures introduced by the Tinubu administration initially caused hardship and widespread concern among Nigerians.

However, he said the President demonstrated political courage by taking responsibility for difficult decisions that, in his view, were necessary to strengthen the country’s economy and improve the financial capacity of governments at all levels.

Sule emphasized the importance of communicating government policies effectively to citizens, particularly when reforms involve short-term difficulties but are intended to produce long-term economic benefits.

He said President Tinubu had effectively “taken the bullet” on behalf of state and local governments by implementing reforms that subsequently increased the resources available to the three tiers of government.

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

According to him, the additional revenue has enabled the Nasarawa State Government to undertake major projects in road infrastructure, industrialisation, education, healthcare and water supply, among other sectors.

Sule also praised the Renewed Hope Ambassadors National Media Team for embarking on the nationwide inspection tour, describing it as an opportunity for Nigerians to see government projects beyond official presentations.

He said the tour would allow members of the public to independently assess projects being implemented by both the Federal and Nasarawa State Governments and determine the extent to which the Renewed Hope Agenda is translating into tangible development at the grassroots.

The governor expressed optimism that continued implementation of the Federal Government’s economic reforms would further improve the financial position of states and enable them to undertake more transformative development projects.

### Media Team Inspects Projects

During its visit to Nasarawa State on Saturday, the Renewed Hope Ambassadors National Media Team inspected a number of completed and ongoing projects executed by the state government.

Among the projects inspected was the completed multi-billion-naira state secretariat along Shendam Road, which houses the Ministries of Education, Housing and Urban Development, Health and Justice.

The team also visited the 1-megawatt solar farm powering the state secretariat, the completed 16-kilometre Makurdi Bypass in Lafia linking Nasarawa and Benue states, and the Wing Commander Abdullahi Ibrahim Vocational and Skills Acquisition Centre.

Other projects inspected included the multi-million-naira Shinge Waterstorm Channel and the completed Kilema Bridge along the Lafia-Doma Road.

Speaking during the tour, Onanuga commended President Tinubu for what he described as the courage to implement economic reforms that previous administrations had identified as necessary but repeatedly deferred.

He recalled that shortly after assuming office in 2023, Tinubu announced the removal of the fuel subsidy and subsequently introduced changes to the foreign exchange regime, including the unification of multiple naira exchange rates.

Onanuga acknowledged that the reforms initially contributed to inflation and increased economic hardship, but argued that the measures were necessary to free up resources for the states and local governments.

“Actually, when President Tinubu came in 2023, he initiated some audacious reforms that ought to have been introduced some decades ago. But the country kept postponing them until he came, and from Day One uttered that famous phrase, ‘subsidy is gone,’” he said.

He added that the President’s subsequent foreign exchange reforms initially resulted in significant economic pressures but maintained that conditions had improved after the difficult first year.

Onanuga also recalled Governor Sule’s support for the Federal Government’s reforms at the time, particularly his public defence of the decision to remove the fuel subsidy.

“I must thank His Excellency, Governor Sule, for supporting the President at that moment. I think he was the one who came out on television and said that what the President has done is something that should be commended and that the President actually took the bullet for the sub-nationals,” Onanuga said.

He explained that the reforms were designed to free up resources that state governors had long sought to use in developing their respective states.

“What the President did was to free up resources that the state governors have been longing for to develop their states,” he added.

Also speaking during the inspection of the Makurdi Bypass, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Public Enlightenment, Mr. AbulAziz AbdulAziz, said the scale of infrastructure development witnessed in Nasarawa and Benue states was evidence, in his assessment, that the Renewed Hope Agenda was producing tangible results.

He said the projects inspected during the tour would provide Nigerians with a clearer picture of how government policies and increased fiscal resources were being translated into infrastructure and development across the states.