IBRAHEEM MUHAMMAD
The Nasarawa State government and ABS Blueprint Limited have signed a joint venture agreement, for the establishment of Nasarawa Technology Village, in Aso-Pada, Karu Local Government area.
The agreement, estimated at N22bn, was signed during a ceremony at the Government House, on Monday.
Speaking shortly after the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the government and representatives of the firm, Nasarawa State governor, Engineer Abdullahi Sule, said the Nasarawa Technology Village, conceived in line with the idea behind the Silicon Valley in California, is aimed at attracting major international IT firms to the state.
“We don’t have 20 years to spend here. For that reason, it must start small. Go and start the process, let the people see the employment opportunities that you are bringing, let them see the funding you are putting into the project,” he stated.
In his remarks, Muhammad Yamusa Suleiman, Group Managing Director, ABS Blueprint Limited, said his company has brought together a formidable consortium of partners and industry professionals, in the quest to develop the Nasarawa technology village.
Suleiman disclosed that the proposed technology village, is sitting on a 66000 hectares of land, comprising of a tech hub at the core, to be operated by the Decagon Learning Institute, which will provide fully handed training for up to 2000 students on IT.
He said that the entire project is expected to provide 15000 direct jobs, as well as 60, 000 indirect jobs.
Also commenting, Director General, Nasarawa Geographic information Service (NAGIS), Mr. Sonny Agassi, said the event marks another watershed in the history of PPPs, with the agreement further placing Nasarawa State on the map of states attracting investors.
During the signing ceremony, Barrister Ibrahim Abdullahi, MD/CEO, Nasarawa Investment and Development Agency (NASIDA) and Mr. Agassi, signed the agreement on behalf of the state government, while Suleiman, GMD ABS Blueprint Limited, signed on behalf of the consortium.