Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule has said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is fully aware of the hardship Nigerians are facing amid the ongoing economic reforms.
Sule made this known during the Nasarawa State All Progressives Congress (APC) stakeholders’ meeting at the Government House in Lafia.
The governor said Tinubu recognised that some key economic indicators were improving. However, he noted that many ordinary Nigerians were yet to feel the impact.
Tinubu aware of Nigerians’ hardship
Sule said the President had acknowledged the challenges facing Nigerians and directed governors to continue providing support across the states.
“The President said these are the challenges, these are the issues,” Sule told party stakeholders.
According to the governor, Tinubu urged state governments to focus on rural infrastructure and basic services.
He said the President directed governors to continue with rural road projects. He also asked them to provide water and power while expanding empowerment programmes.
Sule explained that improvements in foreign reserves and the capital market had not changed the reality for many citizens.
He said Nigeria’s foreign reserves had risen from below $30 billion to more than $50 billion. The governor also noted that the capital market was now worth hundreds of trillions.
Despite these figures, Sule said many Nigerians remained more concerned about their daily struggles.
“If you tell somebody from Angwan Takpa that foreign reserve is over 50 billion dollars, he will tell you, ‘What does that mean?’ It means nothing to him,” he said.
He added that the same applied to the capital market, saying many citizens could not see how its performance affected them.
FG releases $1bn for interventions
Sule disclosed that the Federal Government had released $1 billion to relevant departments for direct interventions.
He said the funds would support rural infrastructure, water, power and empowerment programmes.
The governor also highlighted the improvement in Nasarawa State’s federal allocations.
According to him, the state’s allocation rose from about ₦13 billion to a record high in the previous month.
Sule said the increase had enabled the state government to undertake more projects without borrowing.
He added that the improved revenue had also necessitated a supplementary budget, which is currently before the State House of Assembly.
“Things have actually improved significantly, and that’s the reason why you are seeing all the work you are seeing without us borrowing anything from anywhere,” he stated.
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