By Samson Obande,  Lafia

Governor Abdullahi Sule has approved the construction of a one-kilometre road linking the Abdullahi Adamu Housing Estate to the New Tomatoes Market in Lafia, to ease access and boost commercial activities around the market.

The Governor disclosed this on Thursday during a meeting of the Nasarawa Enabling Business Environment Council (NEBEC), which he chaired at the Government House, Lafia.

Governor Sule also disclosed that his administration has set aside an additional N5 billion to fully equip the Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital (DASH), Akwanga, to make it functional for residents of Akwanga and neighbouring communities.

He said the projects form part of ongoing and proposed interventions under the state’s business environment reform programme, and will be executed based on available resources.

“I trust that this meeting will produce clear, practical and actionable decisions, and the relevant MDAs will take ownership of the agreed decisions to ensure their timely implementation,” he said.

The Governor directed that details on project costs and locations be worked out with relevant agencies, stressing that transparency remains central to the state’s continued access to World Bank support under the business enabling reforms programme.

He added that the proposals, including the DASH Akwanga equipping fund and the Lafia road project, will be presented to the State Executive Council for consideration and approval before implementation.

Earlier, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Nasarawa State Investment Development Agency (NASIDA), Ibrahim Abdullahi, reported that the state’s One-Stop Investment Centre has been built and delivered. He said its grievance redress portal, an online version of the centre’s services, will be formally relaunched by the Governor in the first week of October to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the creation of Nasarawa State.

He also disclosed that N1 billion from the state’s infrastructure fund has been committed as equity contribution to the ongoing Karu Recreational and Resort Centre project, while the balance remains invested in the money market, yielding over N200 million in returns so far.

Commissioner for Environment, Princess Margret Elayo, proposed the establishment of a small reference and resource centre within NASIDA’s offices in Karu to provide the public and prospective investors with materials on how to set up and run businesses in the state – a proposal the Governor described as worthwhile.

The meeting is part of NEBEC’s continuing efforts to improve the state’s investment climate and deliver targeted infrastructure to residents.