The All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Nasarawa State, Ahmed Wadada, has defended the policies of President Bola Tinubu, saying recent economic indicators show the administration is making measurable progress.
Speaking on Thursday after a meeting with President Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Wadada said the government’s achievements should be acknowledged despite existing challenges. He argued that only those who were uninformed or deliberately opposed to the administration would deny the progress recorded so far.
According to the senator, constructive criticism should be based on facts rather than hostility. He pointed to improvements in Nigeria’s balance of payments, trade balance, foreign reserves, exchange rate stability and the performance of the capital market as signs that the economy was recovering.
Wadada noted that the country’s foreign reserves had risen from below $30 billion when Tinubu assumed office to about $56 billion. He also credited the unification of the foreign exchange windows with improving investor confidence and strengthening the naira.
He further highlighted ongoing infrastructure projects across the country and the steady performance of the capital market as additional evidence that government reforms were yielding results.
While acknowledging that many challenges still exist, the APC candidate maintained that positive developments were evident across several sectors of the economy and stressed that more work remained to be done.
He also applauded the signing of the Electricity Act, describing it as a landmark reform that empowers states to generate electricity based on their comparative advantages, thereby promoting industrial growth and economic development.
Turning to his governorship ambition, Wadada unveiled his development blueprint, tagged the HEARTS Agenda, which he said would guide his administration if elected.
The agenda prioritises human capital development, energy and mineral resources, agriculture, the green economy, rural and urban infrastructure, trade and investment, as well as improved security.
He pledged to make education and healthcare central to his administration while leveraging Nasarawa’s abundant mineral and energy resources to attract investment, drive industrialisation and create jobs.
Wadada observed that Nasarawa had become a key player in Nigeria’s solid minerals industry, noting that the state hosts the country’s first and second lithium processing plants, a development he described as proof of its growing mining potential.
On agriculture, he proposed establishing three agricultural hubs across the state’s senatorial districts, with each focusing on its comparative advantage to boost food production, strengthen agricultural value chains and expand employment opportunities.
The APC flag bearer also promised to build on the achievements of Governor Abdullahi Sule, whom he commended for advancing infrastructure development and expanding the state’s mining sector.
Expressing confidence in his vision for the state, Wadada assured residents that his administration would strive to meet their expectations if given the mandate.
(NAN)