For his visionary leadership anchored on industrialization, infrastructural renewal and human capital development, which has transformed Nasarawa State into Nigeria’s emerging investment hub; for his inclusive governance, sustainable growth and prosperity, Governor Abdullahi A. Sule is LEADERSHIP Governor of the Year.
Engineer Abdullahi A. Sule was born on December 26, 1959, in Gudi Station, a small but multi-ethnic and multi-religious village in today’s Akwanga-West development area of Nasarawa State. His father Alhaji Sule is the current Sarkin Gudi, while his grandfather, Abdullahi Angulu, was the first traditional ruler of Gudi Station.
He began his educational journey at the Roman Catholic Mission (RCM) Primary School, Gudi Station, in 1968. Upon completion, he passed the entrance examination into Zang Secondary Commercial School, Bukuru, in 1974. In 1977, he proceeded to the Plateau State Polytechnic, Barkin Ladi. He was at the Indiana State University, Terre Haute, Indiana, USA, towards the end of 1980.
Through sheer determination, the young Abdullahi took extra classes and obtained both B.Sc (1983) and M.Sc (1984) degrees in Mechanical Technology and Industrial Technology, respectively, from the same Indiana State University.
His work experience began in 1980 when he was offered employment by the Plateau Electricity Corporation, Jos, even before his graduation, in May 1980, from Government Technical College, Bukuru. He worked with the corporation for about three months before proceeding to Plateau State Polytechnic in September 1980.
Upon his return from Indiana State University, he served the mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) with the Plateau Utilities Board, Jos, and later joined the Jos Steel Rolling Company Ltd in 1985 as a production engineer. In 1987, he enjoyed an accelerated promotion from GL 9 to GL 12 in recognition of his performance and hard work. He would later leave Jos Steel Rolling Company as a principal production engineer in 1989 and returned to the USA.
In the U.S., Engr. Sule went to Texas, San Antonio, and later Houston, where he worked for the Lancer Corporation, San Antonio; OEM Components, Houston; Houston Engineer, Houston; Morgan Performance, Houston; Dril-Quip Incorporated, and Osyka Corporation, Houston.
Engr. Sule worked in various capacities—from workshop engineer, computer numerical control (CNC) programmer, and CNC operator to facilities engineer, project/production engineer, and finally director of business development for Africa and the Middle East for Osyka Corporation.
On his return to Nigeria in the year 2000, Engr. Sule, along with some friends, started a company called Sadiq Petroleum Nigeria Limited in Lagos, where he was appointed the pioneer managing director/CEO.
Later that year, Sadiq Petroleum participated in the privatization of African Petroleum Plc and won the bid. Upon acquisition of the 30% ownership of AP Plc by Sadiq Petroleum, he was appointed the executive director, operations, of AP in November 2000. On April 2, 2001, he was appointed by the board of AP Plc as the fourth MD/CEO.
Engr. Sule inherited a heavily indebted AP Plc, which had been running as a government parastatal. The company had its share capital eroded, with a negative balance sheet of over ₦22 billion. He and his colleagues worked tirelessly to make the historic turnaround of AP along with other stakeholders. By the time he resigned from AP in July 2006, the company had a ₦5 billion positive balance sheet.
While at AP as MD/CEO, he also served as a director in IMB International Bank Plc, Ulti-Care Pharmaceutical, and Chrismatel Holdings. He also held the position of chairman of AP Oilfield Service Ltd and partner in Star–AP Oilfield Services.
Upon his resignation from AP, he took another job with an American multinational oil service company, Tetra International, in July 2006, as director of business development/country manager.
Since his return to Nigeria in 2000, Engr. Sule has participated in several private and public projects in Nasarawa State. In December 2006, he left Tetra to join partisan politics and to serve the people of Nasarawa State and Nigeria in general.
One year after his confirmation as GMD of Dangote Sugar, Engr. Abdullahi A. Sule contested the election through which he became the governor of Nasarawa State.
His entry into politics was driven by a desire to deploy his wealth of experience for public good. Since assuming office, his administration has prioritized industrialization, infrastructural renewal, human capital development, and inclusive governance.
Engr. Sule came into office as governor with a living economic blueprint called NEDS — Nasarawa Economic Development Strategy — the very first of its kind in the over 25-year history of Nasarawa State. It articulates, with unambiguous clarity, his vision to galvanize and sustain accelerated growth of the Nasarawa economy and translate it into clear improvement in the lives of the citizens.
What is abundantly clear is that Engr. Sule’s quest to govern Nasarawa State was borne out of the desire to serve his people, pull the state from the backwaters of unexplored potential to the front burner of global business, and make Nasarawa State the new investment frontier of Nigeria.
