Kogi: Ododo rallies diaspora to rebrand Nigeria, back Tinubu’s reforms

Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo of Kogi state has called on Kogi citizens and Nigerians living in the United Kingdom to rally behind the economic reforms of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, project a positive image of Nigeria and channel their investments, expertise and global networks towards the development of Kogi state and the nation.

A statement from the Commissioner of Information and Communication, Kingsley Fanwo, said the governor spoke at a Town Hall Meeting with Kogi indigenes and Nigerians in London on Thursday.

The statement quoted the  governor Ododo as saying that Nigeria’s future depended on the collective efforts of its citizens both at home and abroad, urging the diaspora to become active partners in nation-building by supporting ongoing reforms and taking advantage of emerging investment opportunities in Kogi state.

He said the engagement was not merely an opportunity to reconnect with Kogites living abroad but a 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.

Governor Ododo said the unity deliberately nurtured in Kogi state over the last decade has become the foundation for the state’s rapid transformation, noting that the people have risen above ethnic and religious divisions to pursue a shared vision of development.

According to him, the progress recorded in the state demonstrates what can be achieved when people place the common good above sectional interests.

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 were 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 added 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.

The governor said Kogi state had translated the opportunities created by the federal government into visible progress through investments in road infrastructure, free education from primary to secondary school, payment of public examination fees, improved healthcare delivery, expanded health insurance coverage, agricultural mechanisation and targeted empowerment programmes for youths and women.

He noted that security remained the bedrock of development, explaining that the state’s collaboration with the federal government, the Office of the National Security Adviser and security agencies had created a safer environment for farming, commerce and investment, among others.