Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo, the governor of Kogi State, has pledged to make the state a desirable place for both domestic and foreign investors to make investments.

In his inaugural speech on Saturday in Lokoja, Ododo made this promise.

The incoming Kogi State governor claims that his government would actively, thoughtfully, and strategically work to improve the business climate.

“Kogi has all the necessary ingredients to realize Nigeria’s ambition of becoming the global south’s industrial center. With an abundance of natural resources and a wealth of mineral resources, we are one of Nigeria’s most endowed states. Niger and Benue, two of Africa’s largest rivers, converge in Kogi.

“The vast bodies of water have use in tourism, agriculture, and transportation. With so many rivers and dams in the state, we have everything we need to grow food during all four seasons of farming.

“We have to make what we eat, consume what we make, and create what other people consume.” Aside from the extremely precious natural resources that our state is endowed with, we have no reason not to be the breadbasket of Africa because to the strong agricultural foundation that my predecessor, His Excellency Alh. Yahaya Bello, established.

As a result, I urge the international investment community to consider Kogi as their first choice. Our policies are welcoming and our environment is secure for investment. Both the interests of our people and the investors will be safeguarded. The place to be is Kogi.

Based on the strong foundation my predecessor’s government set, our economy will see tremendous advances as we continue to welcome investors under a strong framework of public-private partnerships into our state.

We have been focusing on how to put our state and confluence on the global tourism map for the past few years. We hope that Kogi will become the world’s most popular tourist destination in the next months.

“As your governor, I will spearhead our investment push and establish a Diaspora Investment Platform to position every Kogite as our global investment evangelist. Establishing a private sector-driven economy is economically necessary, the speaker stated.

According to the governor, Kogi State will serve as one of the sub-national hubs for pilot projects led by the Federal Government in the areas of food security, eradicating poverty, creating jobs, access to capital, inclusion, the rule of law, combating corruption, and general economic growth. These projects will be locally tailored to Kogi State’s unique circumstances.

He said that his government will build upon the impressive accomplishments of his predecessors, adding that his extraordinary, game-changing successes in almost every economic field had created a strong foundation.

Additionally, Ododo praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his assistance in preventing proponents of diverse political interests in the state from turning the Kogi State gubernatorial race into an attrition battle.

He also expressed gratitude to security services, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and other important electoral process participants for guaranteeing a calm, free, fair, and transparent election in Kogi State.

“Kogi State cannot afford to revert to the fractured psyche riddled with scars of ethnicity that violated the age-old values and the very fabrics that bound our people together,” stated Ododo, emphasizing the need to preserve the freedom of all citizens, who deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness and aspiration for any position in the state without fear of discrimination based on tribal or religious inclination. We as a people must continue to uphold and honor the goals and aspirations of our founding fathers.

The recently appointed governor of Kogi State said that his government will fulfill its goal of creating a state that is affluent, safe, unified, and forward-thinking.

“It is now evident that no single senatorial district in our state can go it alone without the cooperation and support of others who are co-equals in the political configuration of the state,” he said. “This is the time for us to commence the process towards achieving a charter of equity on power rotation in the state.”

“Our administration will get right to work, focusing on the welfare of the people via people-oriented programs and initiatives. We will always rule with accountability, openness, and integrity.

“As we confront the difficulties of the past, we have to acknowledge that this is a new beginning. As such, we must cooperate to stop the flood of greed and irresponsibility in all of its manifestations. In our joint endeavor to usher in a new era in our state, we need to be ready to make difficult decisions.

“In this new period, we will build more houses, generate more employment, grow our companies, and maintain the health of our farmlands. The country’s economy has significant obstacles, especially in relation to foreign exchange, unemployment, and inflationary trends.

In order to address these issues in the actual sector as a sub-national government prepared to make a difference, we must dig deep and get our hands dirty. This will necessitate us focusing on the low-hanging fruit, like finishing all of the urgently needed infrastructure projects from the previous administration that are important to the welfare of our people and seizing any available chances for collaboration with the federal government.

These will concentrate more on our areas of comparative advantage, which include the development of solid minerals and steel, agriculture, the marine and blue economy, tourism and creative industries, information technology and the digital economy, where our highly energetic youth population can be mobilized to play important roles in the value chain.