Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo of Kogi State, in north-central Nigeria, has called on the people of Kogi and Nigerians living in the United Kingdom to rally behind the economic reforms of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
According to a report by Kogi State Ministry of Information and Communications in Lokoja, Governor Ododo at a Town Hall Meeting with Kogites and Nigerians in London on Thursday, the Governor said Nigeria’s future depends on the collective efforts of its citizens both at home and abroad.
He urged the people in the diaspora to become active partners in nation-building by supporting ongoing reforms and taking advantage of emerging investment opportunities in Kogi State.
He called on Kogi State citizens and other Nigerians in the UK to make investments in Nigeria so that Nigeria benefits from their global business networks that could add value to the development of Kogi State and the nation.
Governor Ododo said the engagement was an opportunity to reconnect with Kogites living abroad, as the meeting provided the platform to strengthen collaboration between the diaspora and the state government in pursuit of sustainable development.
“You may have crossed oceans in search of opportunity, but you have not crossed beyond your identity. Wherever you excel, our homeland is honoured. Wherever you break new ground, our flag flies a little higher.
“Will we merely inherit history, or will we have the courage to make history? I believe ours is a generation called to make history.
“Bring home not only your investments but also your ideas, your expertise, your innovation, and your global networks. Nations are transformed not only by the wealth their people send home but by the knowledge, values, and vision they bring home,” the governor said.
According to Ododo, the progress recorded in the state demonstrates what can be achieved when people place the common good above sectional interests.
Courageous Leader
The governor paid tribute to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for taking difficult but necessary decisions to reposition the Nigerian economy, describing the president as a courageous leader who chose reform over convenience.
He said the removal of fuel subsidy, the unification of the foreign exchange market and ongoing fiscal reforms have significantly improved the financial capacity of states, enabling governments to invest more in infrastructure, education, healthcare, agriculture and other critical sectors.
Governor Ododo also highlighted key Federal Government interventions that are transforming Kogi State, including the approval of the Kogi International Airport, the Kogi Free Trade Zone, the Agricultural Processing Zone, renewed efforts to revive the Ajaokuta Steel Company and the reconstruction of strategic federal roads across the state.
He said that President Tinubu’s sustained investment in security, agriculture, solid minerals development, tax reforms and policies to improve the ease of doing business are restoring investor confidence and laying the foundation for long-term economic growth.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu chose reform over comfort. Leadership is not measured by the ease of today’s decisions but by the prosperity they create for tomorrow.
“If we were dissatisfied with past leadership, we have no reason to transfer that dissatisfaction to an administration that is already correcting the mistakes of the past. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been honest about his approach to leadership, and Nigeria can only get better if we continue to support him and his reforms,” Governor Ododo stated.
Participants at the Town Hall Meeting commended Governor Ododo for what they described as the remarkable transformation taking place across Kogi State, applauding his administration’s achievements in infrastructure, security, education, healthcare and economic development.
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Professional expertise
The participants pledged to support the Governor’s administration by deploying their professional expertise, technical knowledge and global experience to the development of Kogi State while also mobilising investors to take advantage of the state’s enormous economic potential.
According to the Kogi State Ministry of Information and Communications, Kogites in the diaspora deepen collaboration with the Kogi State Government and contribute meaningfully to the state’s continuing transformation.
