Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Sule Commissions New Healthcare Centre in Lafia, Reaffirms Local Government AutonomyNasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, has commissioned a newly constructed Primary Healthcare Centre and a road project in Lafia, using the occasion to reaffirm his administration’s position that local government councils in the state have enjoyed considerable financial and administrative independence since he assumed office in 2019. The projects, executed by the Lafia Local Government Council, were presented as part of efforts to bring development closer to residents at the grassroots.
Speaking during the commissioning ceremony, Governor Sule said the projects demonstrated what local councils could achieve when they had the opportunity to manage their resources and determine projects based on the needs of their communities. He rejected the impression that local government autonomy in Nasarawa only became a reality following the recent national push for greater independence for councils, insisting that his administration had allowed local governments to operate with considerable autonomy since 2019.
One of the major highlights of the ceremony was the newly completed healthcare centre, which the governor said was constructed and equipped by the Lafia Local Government Council without financial support from the state government. The facility is expected to provide essential primary healthcare services to residents of the Government Reserved Area and neighbouring communities that previously had limited access to a health facility within the immediate area. The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Gaza Gwamna, described the centre as a Level 2 facility capable of providing services including immunisation, malaria treatment, antenatal care and delivery.
Governor Sule commended Lafia Local Government Chairman, Haliru Arabo, for executing the project and urged him to remain focused on delivering projects that have a direct impact on residents. The governor said he had also recently commissioned road projects undertaken by other local government councils in Wamba, Akwanga, Nasarawa-Eggon and Doma, describing the projects as evidence that development at the grassroots can be achieved when councils take responsibility for their communities. He also disclosed that work would soon resume on the abandoned Kwandere-Karshi road, which he said would be upgraded to a standard asphalt road at an estimated cost of about N40 billion.
The commissioning comes as healthcare remains a major area of attention in Nasarawa State, with the state government previously reporting investments in primary healthcare infrastructure, equipment and manpower. In 2025, the Federal Ministry of Information reported that the Nasarawa State Government, in collaboration with the World Bank, approved N1 billion for the procurement of equipment for primary healthcare facilities, while 58 facilities had been revitalised and additional health workers recruited. The latest Lafia project therefore adds another grassroots facility to the state’s healthcare infrastructure, while Sule’s remarks have also placed renewed attention on the practical role local governments can play in delivering services directly to residents.
