By Umar Muhammed, Lafia
Nasarawa State and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have agreed to scale up their partnership with a focus on tangible, results-driven initiatives aimed at accelerating development across the state.
Governor Abdullahi Sule hosted UNDP Resident Representative Ms. Elsie Attafuah and her team in Lafia on Tuesday, where both parties pledged to move beyond ceremonial agreements to practical, measurable outcomes.
Attafuah praised Sule’s “visionary leadership” and highlighted his administration’s strides in lithium mining, the ACReSAL environmental project, and Skills Acquisition and Upgrade (SUG) centres as models worth replicating. She announced that UNDP’s technical team would remain in Nasarawa for three days to conduct field visits, ensuring future interventions align with local realities.
“We are here to listen, learn, and build support that responds directly to the needs of Nasarawa’s people,” Attafuah said. She revealed the completion of a $1 million innovation hub—“Uniport”—at Nasarawa State University, Keffi, featuring a mining laboratory to advance lithium battery production and plans for grassroots innovation spaces.
Governor Sule welcomed the development, emphasizing that collaboration must focus on achievable goals rather than symbolic agreements:
“It is better to be realistic. Let’s put down something we can actually do, not just sign MoUs for the sake of it,” he said.
He outlined priority areas—youth and women empowerment, agriculture, mining, water supply, and food security—as “low-hanging fruits” where concentrated efforts could deliver immediate impact. Sule also showcased the state’s mini-grid energy projects, Dangote sugar plantations, vocational institutes, and a planned NIPR Leadership University as proof of Nasarawa’s commitment to sustainable growth.
The visit concluded with both parties agreeing to draft financially realistic plans targeting youth empowerment, agricultural productivity, and economic diversification. The renewed partnership signals a shift from promises to practical action, positioning Nasarawa as a model for subnational development partnerships in Nigeria.