The Governor of Nasarawa State, Abdullahi Sule, has urged the Dangote Group to scale up its investments by leveraging the state’s abundant mineral resources.

Speaking at the opening of the 3rd edition of the Nasarawa Trade Fair and Exhibition (NASTFE), the governor—represented by the Director of Trade in the state Ministry of Trade, Industry and Investment, Dr. Ahmed Agbo II—said there is already a strong, high-level collaboration between the state and the Dangote Group.

He noted that Nasarawa is richly endowed with mineral resources capable of attracting further investments from the company.

Sule commended the Dangote Group for its job creation efforts, adding that its $100 billion Vision 2030 target would significantly boost not only small businesses but also the broader Nigerian economy.

The Dangote Group is the major sponsor of the trade fair, themed: “Unlocking Industrial Synergy: Deepening the Value Chain and Driving Inclusive Growth in Nasarawa State.”

Nasarawa hosts the Dangote Nasarawa Sugar Company Limited (NSCL), a backward integration project in Nigeria’s sugar sub-sector, which is expected to become one of the largest sugar investments in Africa upon completion.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Association of Small-Scale Industrialists (NASSI) said the Dangote Group’s Vision 2030 would support small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) across Nigeria.
This comes as participants continue to throng the company’s pavilion at the ongoing trade fair.

Speaking on the sidelines of the event, the Chairman of NASSI, Nasarawa State Chapter, Comrade Nidan Sambo Manasseh, described the company’s achievements as a model for small and micro businesses in both the state and the country.

He disclosed that NASSI is partnering with the Dangote Group to scale up small businesses in line with the Vision 2030 agenda, which he described as an ambitious plan capable of positively impacting economic activities across Africa.

“Our strategy is to align local enterprise development with large-scale industrial systems in line with the trade fair’s theme,” he said.

Manasseh added that thousands of youths across Nasarawa have been trained through the group’s flagship Empowerment Skill Acquisition Programme (ESAP).

Also speaking, the Regional Director and Senior Adviser to the President of the Dangote Group, Mrs. Fatima Wali-Abdurrahman, said the trade fair provides a valuable platform for engagement with key stakeholders and Nigerians interested in exploring business opportunities with the company.