Governor Abdulahi Sule has welcomed investors in renewable energy in Nasarawa State, assuring them of a conducive environment where businesses thrive.

Speaking at the roundtable, organised by the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), in collaboration with the Nasarawa State government, yesterday in Abuja, he announced a tax holiday for prospective investors.

Setting the tone for the roundtable, MD/CEO of REA, Abba Aliyu, said the Electricity Act signed in 2023 had changed the entire dynamics of the power sector.

“The Act has disrupted the entire sector by deepening the opportunity for the private sector and sub-nationals to participate in the entire electricity value chain.  It has given the sub-nationals the right to participate in generation, transmission, distribution, and others. Beyond these, the Act has also emphasised the need for renewable energy to be used to upgrade the electricity access gap,” he explained.
Aliyu disclosed that 86 million Nigerians lack access to electricity, the highest number in the world, with 22 million people and residential households that need to be electrified.  

He commended Nasarawa for having the highest number of mini-grids in Nigeria, saying REA has conducted its research to confirm the electricity needs of every state.

“We assessed each state on its ability and readiness to achieve 100 per cent electrification.  We developed several criteria, and Nasarawa State is one of the states that we assessed, and we are going to present to you the result of that assessment. How the states will move forward,” he said.

On her part, Executive Director of Rural Electrification Fund, Doris Uboh, said the agency, funded to the tune of $750 million in the World Bank facility, was geared towards the electrification of rural areas in the country.

She lauded Governor Sule for creating an enabling environment and ease of doing business in Nasarawa State.

BESIDES, the governor has facilitated the long-awaited return of the Bassa ethnic group to their ancestral homes in Toto Local Council, seven years after communal violence forced them into displacement.

The Bassa communities, which were uprooted from over 100 villages following a deadly conflict with the Egbira people in 2018 and 2019, had remained in limbo despite past efforts to broker peace.

However, through sustained dialogue, reconciliation, and a commitment to non-violence since 2019, Governor Sule’s administration has achieved the reunion.

Yesterday, displaced persons, residing in a transit camp in Ukya, expressed their gratitude to the state government during an official visit by the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Humanitarian Services, Hauwa Samuel-Ugbo, and Director-General of the Nasarawa State Emergency Management Agency (NASEMA), Benjamin Akwash.

Camp spokesperson, Isaq Kaura, acknowledged the governor’s relentless pursuit of peace and thanked the council area chairman, Ahmed Yahaya, and his deputy, Atnadu Yakubu, for their support.

“Before the crisis, many of us were business owners, farmers, and civil servants. We’ve lost a lot, but we are committed to rebuilding our lives and co-existing peacefully with our neighbours,” he said.

Traditional leader, Chief Aguma Isaac of the Kagbo community, speaking on behalf of the Bassa chiefs, confirmed that since their initial return on February 10, 2025, no incidents of hostility had been reported.

He revealed that over 31,000 people have now resettled in Toto, though many lack basic shelter, as their homes were destroyed during the crisis.