Nasarawa govt reaffirms commitment to local content, industrial growth
The Nasarawa State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to promoting local content, creating jobs and driving industrial growth through the National Brand Development and Made in Nigeria Industrial Project.
Dr Labaran Magaji, Secretary to the State Government (SSG), gave the assurance on Tuesday in Lafia while declaring open a one-day training on the foundation, administration, operation and implementation of the project.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary, Cabinet Affairs, Office of the SSG, Mr Mohammed Iliyasu-Idde, Magaji commended the Directorate of the Made in Nigeria Project and the Nasarawa State Project Office for organising the capacity-building programme.
He reiterated the government’s commitment to creating an enabling environment for local industries and indigenous entrepreneurs to compete favourably within and outside the country.
According to him, the training is critical to the successful implementation of one of the state’s strategic economic initiatives.
“The Made in Nigeria Project represents our collective commitment to promoting local content, supporting businesses, creating jobs and attracting investment.
“Achieving these objectives requires a workforce that is knowledgeable, innovative, accountable and committed to excellence in service delivery.
“This training is designed to equip participants with the knowledge and practical skills needed to understand the vision, operational framework, identity processes and implementation strategies of the project,” he said.
Magaji said public servants had a responsibility to translate government policies into measurable outcomes that would positively impact citizens.
He urged participants to actively engage resource persons and share experiences that would strengthen the implementation process.
“The success of the Made in Nasarawa Project will depend not only on sound policies but also on our dedication, professionalism, transparency and teamwork,” he added.
Earlier, Dr Osulafia Muhammed, Executive Director and State Coordinator of the project, said the training was organised to equip staff and local government coordinators with the knowledge required to effectively implement the project using approved operational documents and templates.
Muhammed said the project was domesticated in Nasarawa State in November 2025 by Gov. Abdullahi Sule, adding that the state had since developed operational frameworks and templates that were now being adopted by other states.
He explained that the national initiative was anchored on three pillars aimed at promoting home-grown industrialisation, strengthening local content development and driving inclusive economic growth across the 774 local government areas in the country.
According to him, implementation in Nasarawa will focus on agriculture and agro-processing to expand export opportunities for food products and attract foreign direct investment.
He added that the project would also target the solid minerals sector through partnerships with mining companies to brand the state’s mineral resources under the “Made in Nasarawa” initiative, as well as support Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and the creative industry.
“We will collaborate with the Nasarawa State Investment Development Agency and relevant ministries to identify, empower and provide market access for SMEs across the state,” Muhammed said.