Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo, has unveiled plans to harness the state’s abundant solid mineral resources, particularly its coal deposits, to generate electricity and drive economic growth.
In a statement signed by Ismaila Isah, Special Adviser on Media to the Governor, Ododo. disclosed this at a stakeholders’ engagement with members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the Government House, Lokoja.
The governor said Kogi’s vast mineral resources had remained largely untapped despite their potential to transform the state’s economy, create jobs and improve the livelihoods of its people.
He identified the coal deposits in Ankpa and other parts of the state as key resources that could be harnessed to support his administration’s development agenda.
“The coal deposits in Ankpa and other local government areas are enough to drive the prosperity agenda of the state government, in addition to other solid mineral deposits in the state,” he said.
Ododo said his administration was determined to convert the state’s natural resources into tangible economic benefits by promoting development, creating employment opportunities and improving the standard of living of residents.
The governor also announced plans for a major recruitment exercise into the Kogi State Civil Service, saying hundreds of qualified residents would soon be given the opportunity to join the government workforce.
He assured that the exercise would be conducted through a transparent and rigorous process to give qualified citizens a fair opportunity to secure employment.
According to him, the implementation of the new minimum wage, improved federal allocations and increased internally generated revenue had strengthened the state’s financial capacity to sustain its workforce.
He added that the improved financial position would enable the government to replace many workers who had retired or were approaching retirement.
“There are plans to make the resources of the state more available to many more people within the state, so they can feel the impact of the government,” he said.
Beyond economic and employment initiatives, Ododo called for greater unity among the people of Kogi State, saying internal divisions and the inability of residents to collectively support one another had remained major obstacles to the state’s development.
He urged APC stakeholders and other residents to support his administration’s programmes and policies, stressing that collective action was necessary to achieve sustainable development.
The governor also commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for what he described as the Federal Government’s support for Kogi through increased funding and infrastructural interventions.
He cited the Federal Government’s intervention in the Abuja-Lokoja-Okene-Benin road, developments around the free trade zone at the Ajaokuta Economic City, investments in the state’s oil and gas sector and the proposed Kogi International Airport in Zariagi.
According to him, the various interventions would help stimulate economic activity, attract investment and improve the welfare of the people of Kogi State.
