MY PROBLEM WITH WADADA'S 'HEARTS' AGENDA
By Danmusa Mohammed
The conversation around the 2027 election cycle is heating up and Commentators are closely dissecting the ballot, focusing heavily on each candidate's political leanings and personal accomplishments as well as their level of preparedness for the various positions and offices they are running for.
Nasarawa state, like Nigeria, is a community that is favoured by providence both in terms of the vastly abundant human and mineral resources at its disposal as well as a rich cultural heritage that boasts of hundreds of years of existence.
30 years down the line, Nasarawa state could be said to have made appreciable progress in different sectors of the economy, despite its toddler status compared to most of the states that were created several years earlier.
However, like Nigeria and other African countries, the leadership question still echoes loud and clear as to how we can realise our potentials.
Successive administrations, especially since the advent of the current democratic dispensation since 1999 have had their fair share of accomplishments, especially when one takes a cursory look at the massively impactful achievements recorded by the current administration of Engr. Abdullahi A. Sule in the past seven years.
Inspite of the above, the reality is that there are visible gaps that exists in the attempt to realise our founders' dreams and vision as a consequence of various reasons, but with the crux of the matter being squarely on leadership.
Indeed, over the years, we have had leaders that exemplified true leadership with a clear cut principle of service as against wielding power which they so effortlessly demystify.
Senator Ahmed Aliyu Wadada's HEARTS Agenda, a timely blueprint made up of a string of policy articulations that aims to deliver impactful leadership to the people has been unleashed on the electorate in Nasarawa State, with a generally acceptable concensus that it (the HEARTS Agenda) is indeed, as severally advanced by Wadada himself, a tool and guide to ensure a seamless continuation of the NEDS document of Governor Abdullahi A Sule and a pragmatically ambitious framework to execute new policies and ideas for the advancement of the State's fortunes in all its ramifications.
For the records, the HEARTS Agenda focuses on
* Human Capital Development
This is indeed the peak of the pack for me, as it clearly aims at implementing a massive investment ploicy in education, healthcare, youth empowerment, and social inclusion that would expectedly translate into a more robust engagement that would sharpen skills of the most sensitive segment of the population in a manner that would equip citizens to participate through a healthy, and productive actions and other commitments.
* Energy and Mineral Resources -
This to my view is a strategy that seeks to focus on first, accelerating the transition to renewable energy sources vital for lowering carbon emissions and ensuring that underserved populations gain reliable, affordable access to electricity.
This however involves scaling up solar, wind, and hydroelectric infrastructure while modernizing the grid to support sustainable development. Secondly, the extraction and processing of critical mineral resources—such as lithium, copper, and cobalt needed for technologies like electric vehicles and battery storage—must be handled with deep responsibility.
It fortells enforcing strict environmental regulations, protecting biodiversity, and upholding fair labor practices to ensure that resource wealth benefits local populations rather than exploiting them and finally, establishing a transparent, stable regulatory environment is crucial to attracting international and domestic investments.
Above could be attend by securing capital for large-scale infrastructure projects, which the government in my thinking can effectively bridge the energy gap, fuel industrial growth, create high-quality jobs, and build thriving, self-sustaining communities.
* Agriculture and Green Economy
Modernizing agriculture, supporting farmers, and promoting climate-smart practices to ensure food security and economic growth. Driving economic prosperity and food security by advancing modern agricultural practices, empowering local farmers, and embedding climate-smart solutions across the supply chain. Securing our food future through the strategic modernization of agriculture, proactive farmer support, and the adoption of eco-friendly farming practices.
* Rural & Urban Development:
This according to the idea concentrates on inclusive infrastructure development, such as constructing and rehabilitating feeder roads and highways, expanding clean water access, and promoting sustainable urban planning. Ambitious and implementation, the State's terrain is begging for attention, not for want of effort but rather for long years of neglect especially before the creation of the state, of course without prejudice to the massive interventions of the Engr Abdullahi A Sule administration which is in the twilight of its second and last tenure.
* Trade, Investment & Industry:
This thrust seeks to drive economic growth by supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), establishing local investment desks in every local government area, and building industrial parks.
The Trade, Investment & Industry pillar of Senator Ahmed Wadada Aliyu’s HEARTS Agenda functions as the main economic engine for Nasarawa State. This pillar aims to shift the state away from civil-service reliance toward a self-sustaining, private-sector-led economy.
Further strategic components break down as follows:
1. Scaling Inward Investment & Policy Stability
• Policy Continuity: The agenda commits to institutionalizing and scaling ongoing economic reforms rather than abandoning them. This ensures contract sanctity and regulatory predictability to lower risks for investors.
• Sector Targeted FDI: Focuses on attracting Domestic and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) specifically across four foundational sectors: mining, agriculture, manufacturing, and energy.
• Local Investment Desks: Setting up dedicated investment desks across all 13 Local Government Areas (LGAs) decentralizes economic promotion. These desks serve as localized regulatory interfaces to cut red tape and map out specific natural resources available for immediate commercial exploitation.
2. Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise (MSME) Support
• Access to Capital & Credit: The strategy involves utilizing agencies like the Nasarawa Investment & Development Agency (NASIDA) to enhance credit access and financial inclusion for grassroots entrepreneurs.
• Youth & Creative Innovation Clusters: Plans feature dedicated tech and creative hubs to foster business incubation.
A Youth Business Council is also proposed to offer formal mentorship, business networks, and specialized support across high-growth sub-sectors like tech, entertainment, fashion, and food processing.
3. Industrial Parks & Economic Hubs
• Agro-Processing & Value Addition: Rather than exporting raw agricultural goods and mineral wealth (such as lithium), the agenda envisions building localized industrial parks.
These parks will process raw inputs domestically to generate higher tax revenues and create sustainable production jobs.
• Synergy with Infrastructure: These zones will tie directly into the Rural & Urban Development and Energy pillars to guarantee stable clean energy (like solar mini-grids) and accessible feeder roads, connecting processing centers to national markets.
4. Governance, Accountability & Performance Tracking
To ensure these trade and investment objectives transform into actual results, the pillar incorporates a strict execution framework:
• Governor’s Results Delivery Unit (GRDU): A specialized oversight office tasked with removing implementation bottlenecks.
• Real-Time Dashboards: Digital, public-facing platforms to monitor project progress, state investment receipts, and economic outputs in real time.
• Quarterly Scorecards: Regular evaluation cycles built to maintain transparency and hold administrators accountable for job creation milestones.
* Security: This pillar of Senator Ahmed Wadada Aliyu’s "HEARTS" Agenda is a six-point development blueprint proposed for his 2027 gubernatorial campaign in Nasarawa State. In the context of Nasarawa's unique socio-economic and geographic landscape, this policy serves as a direct strategic response to the state's historical challenges with ethnic tensions, farmer-herder conflicts, and border security.
The policy can be broken down into four operational dimensions:
1. Shift from Reactive to Proactive Peacebuilding
Traditionally, security forces in Nigeria are deployed after a crisis or clash has already broken out. This agenda proposes a shift toward formal mechanisms that address grievances before they escalate.
In Nasarawa State, this typically involves setting up structured inter-communal dialogue channels, mediation committees, and early-warning systems involving traditional rulers and local leaders to de-escalate tension between agrarian communities and pastoralists.
2. Local Intelligence & Community Policing
Centralized security forces often lack the cultural familiarity and geographical knowledge needed to police vast rural terrains effectively. By emphasizing community policing and local intelligence gathering, the framework seeks to leverage residents as active participants in their own security.
This involves strengthening partnerships between formal law enforcement and community stakeholders, such as traditional rulers, youth leaders, and localized neighborhood watches, to establish trusted channels for reporting suspicious activities.
3. Upgraded Rapid-Response Networks
While prevention is the primary goal, swift containment is critical when disruptions occur. Upgrading rapid-response security networks implies modernizing the state's security infrastructure. This typically involves:
• Establishing strategically located sub-stations or mobile patrol units across major transit corridors and volatile border lines.
• Integrating technology, such as dedicated emergency toll-free lines and communication hardware, to reduce response times drastically when distress calls are made.
4. The Economic Underpinning: Investor & Resident Confidence
The ultimate objective of this framework is to create economic stability. Nasarawa State holds immense potential in Agriculture and Mineral Resources. However, capital is timid; developers, mining companies, and large-scale commercial farmers will not invest heavily if their assets and personnel face security threats. By guaranteeing a secure environment, the policy aims to turn Nasarawa into an attractive, low-risk destination for external commerce while ensuring local residents can farm and trade safely.
The issues I have with this HEARTS Agenda is the fact that it aims at the attainment of even greater heights in delivering service and democracy dividends to the people, especially coming on the heels of the Governor Abdullahi A Sule revolution that has catapulted the state to the front burner of public discourse as one of three well placed and best states in Nigeria.
His wealth of experience garnered over the years; his knack for achieving and driving excellence as well as his passion for delivering service to his community and people place him on a vantage position to further exceed all expectations.
We have experienced 7 and half years of unprecedented delivery of service from the AA Sule administration, the question that I find both timely and relevant is to the effect that 'is Wadada's HEARTS Agenda not a clearer hint of a sort of fundamental, and radical change in our state's political, economic and social strata with a revolutionary stance that will make the state a model not only in Nigeria, but indeed, the world?
Truth is, my problem with Wadada's HEARTS Agenda is that I still cannot figure out a way to have a problem with it.
Danmusa Mohammed, a Journalist and Public Affairs Commentator writes from Lafia.
