By Noah Ocheni, Lokoja
The Kogi State Governor, Alhaji. Yahaya Bello on Monday inaugurated the state’s Economic Advisory Council to optimally harnessed the state endowed human and natural resources.
While inaugurating the Council,virtually via zoom, the Governor challenged members to “guide the state into prosperity” , tapping into the abundant human and mineral resources available to her.
“Kogi State is vastly blessed with human and natural resources, that are yet to be optimally harnessed for the good of our people. The available data indicates that, we have over 29 solid minerals in commercial quantity.”
He said the members were carefully selected based on their pedigree and track record, saying their main responsibility is to work with the state to “open new doors of opportunities towards economic diversification”.
The Governor said the way out is for the nation to go back to the days of agricultural boom as well as devise a way of optimizing the abundant mineral resources in the country.
He said Nigeria is naturally blessed, with the potential to be one of the leading country in the world but the circumstances of oil and all the issues around it, has made this very difficult to realize.
“Agriculture was the pride of the nation before the discovery of oil in the 60s. There is no doubt that crude oil in Nigeria is suffering declining relevance and may actually become extinct, with the passage of time oil may become irrelevant due to improvements in renewable energy over environmental concerns.”
“In 2016 and 2020, Nigeria was ushered into a recession over the collapse of the price of crude oil. This, for me, underlines the fragility of our economy and indeed a wake-up call to think beyond oil if we are to be sustainable as a nation and by extension, if we are to survive as a State.”
“We are blessed with considerable arable land and potentially world class tourist sites.” We are equally blessed with leading cash crops such as cashew, cassava, rice and high profile industries such as Ajaokuta, Itakpe Iron Ore, Obanaja Cement Company respectively.”
He informed the Council that the rational behind the establishment of the Confluence University of Science and Technology, Osara was to create local capacity and strategically position the state to take advantage of the abundant mineral resources in the land.
The Chairman of the Economic Advisory Council, Mr Aliyu Nda Salami while responding on behalf of the other members, thanked the Governor for the confidence reposed in them, saying they have resolved to hit the ground running and change the fortunes of the state for good.
