Governor Yahaya Bello hosted dignitaries at the first ever Kogi State Investment and Economic Summit on Tuesday, February 13, 2018.
The two event which took place at the Government House, Lokoja, was to present Kogi state to both local and international investors as an attractive investment destination.
The summit also aimed to articulate and project the diverse resources abound in Kogi state that has remain largely untapped.
Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo; the Ooni of Ife, Oba Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi; Minister of Solid Mineral Development, Kayode Fayemi were among top dignitaries at the summit.
Pulse was at the summit and brings you five takeaways from the event.
1. Osinbajo says Kogi is a confluence of opportunities
The Vice President, in his remark, said Kogi state is blessed with great human and natural resources, making it a confluence of opportunities.
“This summit is both timely and strategic not only to draw attention to the confluence of opportunities in Kogi state but also to reinvigorate and inspire the people of Kogi as you are reminded of your prospect both as a state and what it has to offer and the possibilities that are so unique to this state,” Osinbajo said.
“A fertile arable land that make kogi the largest producer of cashew, potential major rice producer, a respected fishing community among others as well as a bed of some of the most prolific solid minerals including coal, limestone, iron ore and tin makes undoubtedly, the confluence state.
“The state is also the undisputed gateway between the north and south. This state stands in a strategic position making it the only state that shares boundaries with ten other states including Abuja,” he declared.
The vice president noted that legal issues holding down work in the Ajaokuta Steal Company has been resolved.
Osinbajo said the Muhammadu Buhari administration has given more support to state governments than any other government since 1999.
“As of September 2017, total support (excess crude account loan and Budget support facility), excluding Paris club refunds, is in the order of N876. 3 billion, and if we add Paris club refunds we will have disbursed N1.91 trillion,” he announced.
Describing Governor Bello as ambitious, Osinbajo said: "Within a few months of his excellency, Governor Yahaya Bello in office, he approached me and presented to me a compendium, the New Direction Blueprint. I must say that I found reading through it that it was both ambitious and farsighted.
“I’m also told that there is a thirty-two-year infrastructure masterplan being developed that would be passed into law to ensure sustainability. This long-term thinking, giving deep roots, ensuring that plans are well thought out and sustainable is the way of the future,” he added.
2. Governor Bello on making Kogi commercially viable
The governor said since the creation of Kogi state over twenty-five years ago, the state still depends largely on allocations from the Federal Government to solve its needs.
Bello, however, said those days are over as his government has begun taking steps that would make the state economically viable.
“Twenty-five years ago, Kogi state was created and ever since then, it is often referred to as a civil service state. Under this administration, we will no longer take that narrative because Kogi state is full of potentials.
“Our geographical location, natural water bodies, variable vast and arable land, human capital solid minerals are great potentials. I refer to Kogi state as the solid mineral capital of Africa. All these potentials will remain so long as we continue to see Kogi state as a civil service state and nothing is done," he said.
Bello expressed his administration’s commitment to replacing the barriers of ethnicity religion and class differentials with bridges for a one-united Kogi state.
3. Fayemi speaks of the opportunities in Kogi state
Minister for solid minerals development, Kayode Fayemi urged the state government to identify more resources and partner industry players for greater benefits.
“Due to the very rich geological formations in Kogi state, there is the opportunity for more large-scale cement companies to get involved in mining in the state. Currently, a large team of geologists from the ministry are scattered across the country, including in Kogi State, aiming to identify additional carbonate resources and preliminary reports already indicate that Kogi’s potentials in this regard may be bigger than previously known.
“There are opportunities for Kogi State to partner with private sector players to exploit the vast value chain of mining in the state.
“Kogi state, in partnership with private sector entities can invest in beneficiation plants that encourage the expansion of mining activities within the state, thus creating jobs and economic opportunities for indigenes,” Fayemi said.
4. Ooni of Ife says Dangote won’t solve all of Nigeria’s problems
The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi urged the government should encourage youth in small scale businesses rather than discourage them.
“We usually have a lot of summits like this in this country but truth be told, there is a major problem in this our great nation and we cannot continue like this,” Oba Ogunwusi began.
“13.5 million tons by Dangote. It is not only Dangote that will solve the problem of our country. We need to focus more on small and medium scale enterprises.
“If one company can explore 13.5 million tons, why can’t we break it down so that youths can also do one thousand tons of cement per annum? That would generate jobs for 1.3 million youths that would be entrepreneurs in the country. That should be the focus.
“We make that mistake a lot in this country. We have versatile youths who can manufacture equipment locally but we will focus on how to discourage and pull them down. Why can’t we urge the government to set up a research and development unit so they can be schooled?
“Let them tap into these people doing illegal refinery. Let the encourage youths in Kogi state that can start up small cement plants to support our industries. Some are not lettered but they know what they are doing and they are in this state.
“The future of Nigeria does not lie in the hands of only Dangote. We need to encourage our youths,” Ooni declared.
5. Governor Bello apologizes to Christian leaders
Towards the end of his speech, Governor Bello apologized to Christian leaders over his comments while speaking to journalists at the Villa.
"My statements to the press were misconstrued and misrepresented but I take full responsibility for this as I tender my unreserved apology to the Catholic bishops and by extension my Christian brothers and sisters who are displeased with my statement on tithing,” the governor said.
“I recognise the enormous contributions of the Catholic Church to entrenching a social order which is devoid of corruption, oppression and in the promotion of socio-economic justice.
“The Catholic Church has done very well in promoting literacy and health care. I am quite familiar with a good number of Catholic priests and I know their stance on the issue of corruption. Every church and religion must fight corruption because corruption oppresses the poor and destroy justice and fairness,” he added.
The event also witnessed the signing on seven MoUs – four on energy, three on tourism -- between the government of Kogi state and investors.
Vice President Osinbajo also launched the national Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) clinic in Lokoja, to boost small scale businesses in the state.
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