Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, has commended President Bola Tinubu for the bold economic reforms of his administration, saying the removal of fuel subsidy and other reforms have significantly increased the state’s monthly allocation from the Federation Account from about N4.5 billion to approximately N16 billion.

Sule stated this in Lafia, the state’s capital, when he received members of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors National Media Tour, led by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga.

According to a release by Tunde Rahman, Director, Media and Publicity, Renewed Hope Ambassadors National Media Team, the team, comprising presidential media aides and over 50 senior journalists, was on a nationwide inspection tour of federal and state government projects across the North-Central states.

The Governor said the increase in federal allocations had created more fiscal space for Nasarawa State to execute landmark projects and respond more effectively to the developmental needs of its citizens.

“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.

“I can tell you for free, you are right when you say that the first four years of my administration, everybody knows Nigeria was sharing anything between maybe N590 billion to about N620 billion monthly,” he said.

The Governor also explained that prior to the reforms, the state was receiving about N3.8 billion to N4.5 billion monthly from the Federation Account, a situation which constrained the capacity of the government to undertake major capital projects.

Sule noted that while the removal of fuel subsidy and other economic reforms initiated by Tinubu created initial difficulties, the President demonstrated political courage by taking responsibility for the difficult decisions in the overall interest of the country.

He emphasised the importance of effective communication in helping citizens understand the rationale behind government’s policies, particularly reforms that may initially appear difficult but are designed to strengthen the economy and improve the capacity of governments to deliver public services.

Sule said the President “took the bullet” on behalf of the states and local governments, thereby creating greater fiscal capacity for the three tiers of government to deliver dividends of democracy to Nigerians.

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

The Governor stated that the additional resources had enabled his administration to embark on several landmark projects in different parts of Nasarawa State, including road infrastructure, industrialisation, development of education, healthcare and water supply, among others.

The Governor also commended the Renewed Hope Ambassadors National Media Team for undertaking the tour, describing it as an opportunity to showcase the impact of government’s policies and projects beyond official narratives.

He said the visit would enable Nigerians to see first-hand the projects being executed by both the Federal and Nasarawa State Governments and assess the extent to which the Renewed Hope Agenda is translating into development at the grassroots.

He expressed optimism that the continued implementation of the Federal Government’s economic reforms would further strengthen the fiscal position of states and enable them to undertake more transformative projects.

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