Nasarawa records highest hydrocarbons reserve of 1.3bn barrels in North – Sule

The hydrocarbons reserve in Nasawara State at the moment is the highest crude oil reserve of 1.3 billion barrels in the Northern part of the country.

Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, who stated this while delivering a speech at a dinner organised to mark the end of his first four years in office, said Nasarawa was not just an oil-producing state in the North, but has the highest hydrocarbons reserves so far.

“Nasarawa State is already an oil-producing state. This is a statement of fact. It’s not just that we are an oil-producing state, in the Northern part of the country, we have the biggest reserve of hydrocarbons so far indicated.

“And the fear that we have had in the past where people were thinking there is no longer oil in the Northern part of the country, that fear is out.

“Because the campaign that was started by former President Muhammdu Buhari at Lake Chad has already confirmed what they call standard oil in place of over 900 million barrels in Lake Chad.

“In Gombe, they confirmed at least one billion barrels. In Nasarawa State, they confirmed only in the Obi location that there is at least 1.3 billion barrels of oil.

“These are confirmed numbers that no government can come and say, no forget about this, we are no longer going to the offshore,” he said.

Governor Sule, however, emphasized that this would only come to fruition if there is peace in the state.

While appreciating major stakeholders, traditional leaders, political associates, his family members and friends for their support and prayers during his first term in office, the governor stressed that the time for election is over and it’s time for governance.

“Today is a day for me to look at all the various beautiful faces that have gathered here and to say thank you for being with us, supporting us in these four years.

“The last election has come and gone. It’s time for governance. And we have used all the opportunities that we have to call on those who contested elections, whether they have won or they have not won, to come and join us for the development of the state,” he said.

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The Governor used the opportunity of the event to equally appreciate the Dangote Group for making a commitment to concentrate on agriculture, having been previously occupied with the construction of the Dangote Refinery in Lagos, the biggest single-line refinery in the world with 650, 000 barrels per day.

“I thank you for making the commitment on the part of Dangote to say now you will concentrate on agriculture. We hope we will see more of you for that because at the end of the day, it will attract all the employment that you mentioned, all the economic empowerment,” he added.

Sani Dawop, the representative of the Dangote Group and the General Manager, Dangote Industries Limited, said, having successfully brought on board the Dangote Refinery in Lagos, the group will now focus on sugar production.

According to Dawop, Nigeria needs 1.7 million metric tons of sugar per annum and the country’s local production is only about 500, 000 metric tons, with a shortfall of about 1.2 million metric tons.

He disclosed that the Dangote Group investment in Nasarawa State was going to be the largest sugar investment in Africa in the next 10 years.

“It’s expected that in the next 10 years, we are going to produce 300, 000 metric tons and the sugarcane will be ground here in Nasarawa State and we will crush it and produce refined sugar in Nasarawa State,” Dawop said.

He added that the company has also introduced scholarships for the host community in Nasarawa State, which he attributed to the hard work of the governor. “We will continue to support you and invest more in Nasarawa State.

“Already, we are employing quite a number of indigenes of Nassarawa State who constitute almost 80 percent of our workforce in Nasarawa sugar company.

“Nasarawa State is very happy and privileged to have reelected him as governor. Because the gains of the first term will be consolidated in the second term,” Dawop said.

Umaru Tanko Al-makura, in a message, urged the people to shun divisive tendencies and to rally around the governor in order for him to give his best to the state in the next four years.

“We need to leverage his qualities to support him so that he can give us the best in the next four years. With our cooperation and support, he will be able to consolidate those ideas that he has acquired across the globe,” Al-makura said.