Nasarawa to setup first electric vehicles production factory – Gov Sule

By David Odama

The Nasarawa State Government has promised to sustain its efforts in utilising the available lithium resources to ensure that the first electric vehicles factory in Nigeria is established in the state.

Governor Abdullahi Sule stated this in Lafial at an event organised by the a group under the aegis of Abdullahi Sule Gidan-Gidan Support Group, to celebrate the two years of his second tenure in office.

He explained that the state’s lithium reserves had recorded significant attention, particularly with the recent inauguration of a lithium processing factory in Nasarawa, built by Avatar New Energy Materials Company Limited.

The governor noted that working towards having an electric vehicle factory in the state, aligned with the Federal Government’s efforts to promote clean energy and reduce reliance on fossil fuels.

“We will continue to engage investors and strategic partners to ensure that the second stage of the processing, which is the production of the battery and the eventual assembly of the vehicles, is done here in the state.

“My administration desires to achieve this, and even if we are unable to achieve it, I hope that anybody who is taking over from me in 2027 will pursue it to a logical conclusion.

“Because it is by achieving this that the state will be the number one economy we are dreaming about,” Governor Sule added.

While promising that his remaining two years in office would be better than the last two years, Sule appreciated President Bola Tinubu for his impressive economic reforms and promised to fully key into the reforms for the overall development of the state and country.

Governor Abdullahi Sule further expressed his gratitude to the group for organising the event to honour him as his administration marks two years in office, assuring that he would not stop working hard towards delivering the dividends of democracy to all residents of the state.

In his remarks, Deputy Governor of the state, Dr. Emmanuel Akabe, said lithium had always been in the state, but it took the foresight and ingenuity of the governor to expose it to the outside world.

Akabe further revealed that there is a huge quantity of lithium deposits in the various Local Government Areas of the state, affirming that the state government would leverage on it to attract investors.

“Electric vehicles use batteries which are produced by lithium, and Nasarawa State is the headquarters of lithium in the country,” he stated.

Also speaking, Convener of the event and Chairperson of the Abdullahi Sule Gidan-Gidan Support Group, Hussaina Sule, explained that the event was to celebrate the milestone achievements of the governor in the last two years.

She listed some of the projects including flyovers and underpasses in Lafia and Akwanga LGAs of the state, and the ongoing construction of the state’s secretariat complex in Lafia which would house all the Ministries, Departments, and Agencies in the state.

“Construction of over 600 kilometers of urban and rural roads, dualisation of Shandam road, and huge investment in the security of the state.

“Others are the employment of over 4,000 youths into the state’s civil service, the implementation of the new minimum wage, the implementation of over 10 years of outstanding promotions, and the construction of many blocks of classrooms, among others,” she added.

The convener, therefore said the state was lucky to have a man like the governor at this time, while praying that God should reward him for his dedication and commitment to ensure that development reaches the nooks and crannies of the state.