In order to bring development to the state, Kogi State government under the leadership of Yahaya Bello has opened opportunities for investors to come and do business as the state is now properly for foreign and indigenous companies.
The State Government and China recently set the stage for the expansion of business relations, especially as the state targets N591 billion annual Internally Generated Revenue in the nearest future.
The foundation for the renewed collaboration was laid during a dialogue meeting on industry and trade between Kogi State and Chinese entrepreneurs, co-hosted by Governor Yahaya Bello and the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Cui Jianchun, at the Chinese Embassy in Abuja.
Governor Bello said the Government of Kogi State was ready to engage the Chinese business community in order to expand business and investment opportunities with China.
For both countries to make progress, there was a need for willingness, commitment, readiness and sincerity of both parties to collaborate on harnessing all the resources- natural, human and otherwise– for the benefit of both countries and humanity in general.
Bello also said there was the political will to attain the desired collaboration, pointing out that he shared a lot of ideology with the people of China, politically and personally.
The governor said he was aware that tribes and religions existed in China, yet, the Chinese people were able to put all the differences behind them to have one common goal of coming together to harness all that are available within China.
“I have that political will of putting all of our people together. That is why ever since I assumed office on 26th of January, 2016, I have been working tirelessly to ensure that I unite my people, to ensure that there is security of lives and livelihood of my people and everybody that wants to stay and live and earn a living in Kogi State, including Chinese and the various investments so far in the state.
“I have that political will to continue to engage China and the Chinese, to ensure that all the benefits that are available for us, we take the full benefits of them for our people,” he said.
In his remarks, Jianchun Cui had recalled his recent visit to Kogi State, saying that state and China had so much in common. He expressed delight that both the Chinese and Nigerian sides recognised the need to deepen relations.
Cui expressed confidence that with the cooperation between the leadership of Bello in Kogi State and the Government of China in the coming years, a lot would be achieved, particularly in the area of power plants and nuclear energy.
On how the state intends to hit the target of about N591.6 billion IGR, Special Adviser to Kogi State Governor on Economy, Finance and Investment, Abdulkareem Siyaka, said: “We are actually getting less than 10 percent of what we should get from the resources that we have. About N591.6bn is the size of our IGR per annum if we are able to put all the building blocks together. So, the building blocks are what you have just seen. The Chinese today have invited us and they are willing to invest in various sectors of our economy.”
Also, Enehe Sue Salihu, executive director of Kogi State Internally Generated Revenue (KSIGR) has set a monthly revenue target of N2billion to increase the income profile of the state through internally generated revenue in 2023, saying with the individual contribution of the staff and management, the Internally Generated Revenue improvement in the 20th century is hopefully possible for the KSGIR to achieve a milestone in revenue generation in the new year as service is not complacent with the impressive result it attained in 2022.
He said: “I am confident that with the unmatched work enthusiasm, we can hit a N2billion monthly target to project the state.
“I believe KSGIR can only be better since I have the right team or management and the even supportive staff poised to achieve excellence in service, dedication to duty through good conduct.
Asiwaju Idris, state Commissioner for Finance, in February also said that Kogi was raising its internally generated revenue base to N36billion this year
The Commissioner pointed out that the state has a sound and prudent financial management system and equally put measures in places to ensure that the welfare of workers is paramount.
Government is working towards offsetting the three month backlog of workers salary very soon. We are also working towards clearing our #92billion debt to pave way for our desired growth and development as a state.
Under the administration of Governor Yahaya Bello, agriculture has witnessed tremendous progress through series of programmes.
When Oloruntoba Kehinde was the Commissioner , was when green house was established in Kogi state to boost agriculture.
In addition to the green house in Osara, Kogi Central Senatorial District, Governor Yahaya Bello has built ten more across the state to boost Agriculture production.
When Rashidat Bello, governor’s wife, visited the green house she told the women that all efforts was to solely boost agricultural produce, to encourage and empower Kogi farmers, adding that that Kogi women were going to be the major beneficiaries of it.
The project has capacity to boost agricultural route in the state and make it compete favourably with other states of the federation.
The project will not only save the people of the state from high cost of purchasing farm produce but would attract international traders to the state, which in return transform the soci-economic fortune of the state.
Also Gabriel Olofu, commissioner for Commerce and Industry while declaring open a training workshop organised by Nigeria Export Promotion (NEPC) for Cassava farmers and processors said that Kogi State government had promised farmers of its super support to help boost agricultural activities in the state.
He commended the present administration for committing huge resources into agriculture and charged government, individuals and banks to inject more funds into the agriculture sector.
On her part Rekiya Onaiva Sani, requested cassava farmers to approach her at KEDA office on issues of grants.
Bello at the inception of his administration in 2016 promised to make rack age agriculture to rower women and youths; he equally diclosed his believe in agriculture when the 5th World Bank/Federal Government Ministry to state on FADAMA 111 Additional Financing (AF) Project Implementation team visited him in his office.
He also said that given that many states of the federation face myraids of socio-economic challenges hinged on the dwindling resources from oil sector, his administration would repackage agriculture sector in the state. The distribution of tractor and machine and farm produce at the inception of every farming season in the state has revealed his ambition to revamp agriculture sector.
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