News
More Investors Target Nasarawa’s Potential
Nasarawa State has continued to strengthen its position as a leading agricultural and industrial hub in the country by attracting more foreign and domestic investment into its fold.
This momentum received a significant boost recently with a multinational conglomerate, the Lee Group to invest $35 million in agricultural projects in the state.
The group in 2024 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the state government, and had followed the exercise with a feasibility study of the proposed site in Doma Local Government Area where the initial investment is to be located.
In Doma LGA, the group planned to embark on massive rice production by developing 5,000 hectares of farmland, built a modern rice mill and develop irrigation infrastructure, at a cost of $15 million.
Part of the plan is also to establish a sugar factory with an investment of $20 million, complementing its existing sugarcane plantation in Jigawa State, as well as expand into sesame and peanut production, leveraging high-yield seed varieties to boost output.
The company said it intended to introduce its innovative rice variety, which yields 10 tons per hectare, far above Nigeria’s average of 2-3 tons. It explained that the variety also regenerates after harvest, reducing replanting costs and that the group’s high-oil-content peanut variant (6-7 tons per hectare) and plans for a sesame processing hub are also key components of the investment.
Already, the company along with officials of the state ministry of land have commenced engagement with leaders of the communities where the project is to be sited with both parties hoping to finalize land allocations and commence development within the next two weeks.
Many, including Governor Abdullahi Sule, have described the move as a significant leap the state’s food security and industrialization drive, even as the group’s management led by the Project Director, Wilkins Lam thumbed up Governor Sule for putting in place a business-friendly policies, which has made the state a model for investment in Nigeria.
“Nasarawa State is setting the pace for economic development. The Lee Group’s investment will create thousands of jobs and stimulate growth across the agricultural value chain,” the group stated.
The state government itself has repeatedly reechoed the fact that its economy is fast developing following huge investment by various companies since the current administration unveiled and lunched its economic blueprint the Nasarawa Economic Development Strategy (NEDS) few years ago.
Its investment agency saddled with implementing the NEDS document at the end of its 2024 report said the state has attracted investments flow worth N1,234,077,227 billion in just a year. It said the amount is made up of $466 million actualised and $767 million announced by companies to invest in the state in form of declaration of intents or Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) amongst others within the period under review.
According to the report, among the companies that invested in the state last year included Juiling Lithium Industry Limited, with $250, 000,000 stake in the state.
Others include Future Granary Project,RANARY, $200,000,000; Husk Power Systems, $7,000,000; Nasarawa Technology Village, $2,187,500; Asgard Mineral Processing Limited, $1,500,000; Nasarawa Technology Village (NTV) phase2, $1,250,000; Nasarawa Peninsular, $1,200,000; Greenville LNG Compressed Natural Gas, $1,200,000; Karu Retail and Recreational Mal, $1,000,000; and Gudale Development, $437,500 respectively.
The reports said the invested areas raged from lithium mining and processing, fish farming, general agriculture, real estate, gas, off grid solar power and sesame plant amongst others.
It stated that 3, 740 persons were gainfully employed in various vocation as a result of the investment within the year under review.
Top among the companies that indicated interest to invest in the state, it was learnt, include the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) which has agreed to invest $500,000,000 in the energy sector in Toto local government area of the state.
Also, Infinitum Energy Group, USA has made bid to invest $180,000,000 in 25 – 30 MW Waste-to-Energy and Solar Renewable Power in the state.
Others are Cenpower Generation Limited, 50MW Hydropower generation plant, $100,000,000 Power; EMK Group Turkiye, Agricultural Growth and Sustainable Food Value Chain, $28,000,000 Agriculture; Advent Integrated Limited, On-campus Accommodation, $11,040,000.00; Farmatrac Tractor, manufacturing plant, $10,000,000; Uke Gold Gold, mining $10,000,000; EL – DARL Farms, oil palm plantation, processing and storage facility, $6,250,000 Agriculture, and Khalif Mining, lithium and rubidium processing plant, $2,000,000 respectively.
The proposed investments, it was gathered, are expected to create 3, 940 formal and informal jobs.
Some of the big names that have established industries in the state include Olam Nigeria Ltd, Dangote Sugar Refinery, Azama Nigeria Ltd, Flour Mills Nigeria, Bionas Group, ABS Blueprint Consortium, Prime Global, Beacon Energy, Green Sahara, Diamond Stripes, Barlow & Barrow International Nigeria Ltd, Green and Energy Limited have equally established strong presence in the state.
In May, 2024 President Bola Tinubu through Senator President, Godswill Akpabio commissioned a $100 million lithium processing plant in Nasarawa local government area of the state.
The plant which was built by Avatar Energy has capacity for 4000 metic tons of lithium per day as well as provide 4000 jobs.
Many have described Governor Sule’s dream of transforming Nasarawa into a key investor’s hub is visionary. The vision has continued to yield positive results as the state has continued to play host to different investors who, with their presence, are further boosting it’s economy and making jobs available for teeming able-bodied youths.
-Leadership
Entertainment
Davido breaks silence after Grammy Award loss
Five-time Grammy nominee, David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, has reacted after losing the Best African Music Performance category at the 68th Grammy Awards held in Los Angeles, United States.
The Afrobeats star shared a message of faith and resilience following the outcome of the ceremony, which took place on Sunday night at the Crypto.com Arena in California.
In a post on his Instagram page, Davido shared photos with his wife, Chioma, from the event and wrote, “Oluwa Dey my side,” alongside prayer and music emojis.
Hours later, he posted another set of pictures of himself and Chioma at the Grammys, reflecting on the loss in a longer caption.
“I said baby listen we lost again let’s not go ! she said ‘Be humble in victory and gracious in defeat’ we outside,” he wrote.
Chioma also reacted via her Instagram page, praising the singer, “You already know that you’re the perfect one, @davido,” she wrote, while sharing photos from the awards night.
Davido was nominated in the Best African Music Performance category at the 2026 Grammy Awards but lost to South African singer Tyla, who won with her song Push 2 Start.
Other nominees in the category included Burna Boy (Love), Ayra Starr and Wizkid (Gimme Dat), Davido (With You featuring Omah Lay), and Eddy Kenzo and Mehran Matin (Hope & Love).
The win marked Tyla’s second Grammy Award, following her first victory in 2024 for her hit single Water.
Speaking during the awards ceremony, the singer revealed that With You, featuring Omah Lay, almost did not make the final tracklist of his album 5IVE.
“Man, it’s so crazy because that song almost didn’t make the album. With You was not in anybody’s top five.
“And now look at it go. Every time I was performing it, my heart would just start beating like, what if I didn’t put this song?” he told OkayAfrica.
Davido also recounted how he learned about the Grammy nomination, saying the news came unexpectedly while he was in Dubai, days before his birthday.
“I was in the car, actually, checking a car, and then my phone rang. They were like, ‘Oh yeah, another nomination.’ I was like, wow. Thank God,” he said.
“With You” was released in April 2025 as the 17th track on Davido’s fifth studio album, 5IVE, and has since become one of his most successful recent records, surpassing 100 million streams on Spotify.
Despite the song’s success, Nigeria did not record a win at the 2026 Grammy Awards.
Davido said he is now focused on touring and releasing new music.
He is also billed to perform at Coachella 2026, where he will be the only Nigerian artiste on the festival lineup, performing on April 11 and April 18, 2026, in Indio, California.
-Guardian
Entertainment
Kunle Afolayan gives reasons to marry many women
Nollywood filmmaker, Kunle Afolayan, has stirred reactions after advising men to “marry many women” while reflecting on his upbringing in a polygamous home.
The actor and producer made the remarks at the watch party of Aníkúlápó: The Ghoul Awakens, with a clip from the event going viral on Tuesday.
Speaking at the event, Afolayan linked his existence and achievements to his late father’s decision to marry several wives.
“Without my father, there wouldn’t have been a KAP Village or even Kunle Afolayan. I am the seventh born of my father because my father had ten wives. For the men, marry many women, or rather be involved with many women. You know why? If my father didn’t, he would not have born me, and that is the honest truth. But today, a few of us are lifting his legacy. Life is short, death is constant. Nobody has life forever. Everybody has a period. Use your period,” he said.
While his daughter, Eyiyemi Afolayan, joined him on stage, the filmmaker compared his childhood experience with his relationship with his children.
“They are lucky. For her, staying by my side is luck. Do you know why? I couldn’t stand it with my father. My father didn’t know my school. My father didn’t know my date of birth. He did not know anything about me other than, ‘He is the son of that person.’ But today, I’m so proud of my father,” he added.
Afolayan also spoke about fatherhood.
“Sometimes when people say ‘Happy Father’s Day,’ I’m always saying whether he pays child support or not, he’s still a father. I have been going to court because I want to get a divorce. I don’t mind being in the witness box, and I experienced the shit, so that I can marry many wives,” he said.
He thereafter prayed for his daughter, praising her role in the series.
“Hephzibah, her mother is the one who gave her the name. I don’t care, but I am proud of you. You started with the film, you did the first season, and now with the second season, you did amazingly well. My good Lord will continue to increase you in wisdom, in knowledge, and in understanding. If this is your path, the good Lord will see you through.”
However, this is not the first time the filmmaker has spoken about his late father’s polygamous lifestyle.
In March 2021, Afolayan told BBC Pidgin that his father, Adeyemi Afolayan, who died in 1996, married 10 wives and had 25 children, a decision he said took a toll on the family.
“I would not want to marry many wives because my father had 10 wives and I knew what happened throughout that period. I knew that really distracted my father. In this age, nobody needs to tell you before you know what’s right,” he said at the time.
He also disclosed that growing up in a polygamous home affected bonding among the children due to language and other barriers.
Afolayan further narrated how he battled poverty in his early years, revealing that he once lived in a one-room apartment in Ebute-Metta and sometimes had to deal with flooding.
“I was born in Ebute-Metta and have lived in one-room apartment before that we even have to grapple with flood sometimes. It’s not shame to say have been poor before. But if you see how l made it, it’s a matter of consistency. My father was a very popular filmmaker and ordinarily, people would expect me to life the kind of live akin to Hollywood stars,” he said.
“But that wasn’t the case. How would one live such life when you’re living in a room with ten women. That doesn’t mean there was no love among us.”
He had advised young filmmakers to start with the little resources available to them while working towards their dreams.
-Guardian
Article
Court adjourns Ganduje’s corruption trial to April 15
A Kano State High Court has adjourned until April 15 the trial of former governor Abdullahi Ganduje, his wife, Hafsat Umar, and son, Abdullahi Umar, alongside five other defendants, over alleged misappropriation of public funds amounting to billions of naira.
The defendants are facing an 11-count charge bordering on bribery, conspiracy, misappropriation, and diversion of public funds. The remaining accused persons are Abubakar Bawuro, Jibrilla Muhammad, Lamash Properties Ltd, Safari Textiles Ltd, and Lasage General Enterprises Ltd.
At the resumed hearing, the prosecution told the court it was ready to proceed and drew attention to a motion dated November 24, 2025, seeking leave to file additional proof of evidence.
However, defence lawyers raised objections, informing the court that multiple applications were pending and must be resolved before the trial could continue.
Lydia Oluwakemi-Oyewo, counsel to some of the defendants, said the defence had filed a motion dated July 17, 2025, seeking a stay of proceedings.
Adekunle Taiye-Falola, representing the third and seventh defendants, also referred to a separate motion dated May 23, 2025.
In addition, Muhammad Shehu, counsel to the fifth defendant, told the court that an affidavit had been filed notifying it of a pending application for stay of proceedings before the Court of Appeal.
Abubakar Ahmad, counsel to the sixth defendant, informed the court that he had filed a notice of preliminary objection and an application for extension of time to respond on points of law dated February 2, urging the court to fix a date for hearing.
Only Faruk Asekome, counsel to the eighth defendant, indicated readiness to proceed with the trial.
After hearing arguments from both sides, the presiding judge, Justice Amina Adamu-Aliyu, adjourned the matter to April 15 for the hearing of all pending applications and preliminary objections.
The trial has suffered repeated delays due to legal challenges. The high court had earlier dismissed preliminary objections raised by the defence as “incompetent” and affirmed its jurisdiction to hear the case.
That ruling was appealed by the defendants, who argued that the trial court lacked jurisdiction. However, in October 2025, the Kano Division of the Court of Appeal struck out the appeal, citing failure to properly transmit the record of appeal.
-Guardian
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