Kogi State Governor Ahmed Ododo has urged Nigerians in the diaspora to support President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms and channel their investments and expertise towards the development of Kogi State and Nigeria.
The governor said the active participation of Nigerians in the diaspora is crucial to nation-building, stressing that their contributions through investment, innovation and knowledge transfer would accelerate sustainable development in Kogi State and strengthen the nation’s economy.
According to a statement released on Thursday during a Town Hall Meeting with Kogites and Nigerians in London, United Kingdom Ododo described the engagement as a platform to strengthen collaboration between the diaspora and the state government.
He urged Nigerians abroad to remain connected to their roots by bringing home not only financial investments but also ideas, expertise, innovation and international networks capable of driving development.
The governor said the unity deliberately nurtured in Kogi State over the last decade had become the foundation for the state’s rapid transformation, noting that residents had 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 the common good is placed above sectional interests.
Ododo also commended President Tinubu for implementing what he described as difficult but necessary economic reforms, including the removal of fuel subsidy, unification of the foreign exchange market and fiscal reforms, saying the policies had improved the financial capacity of states to invest in infrastructure, education, healthcare, agriculture and other critical sectors.
He highlighted key Federal Government interventions in 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 major federal roads across the state.
The governor further said his administration had leveraged opportunities created by the Federal Government to deliver investments in road infrastructure, free education from primary to secondary school, payment of public examination fees, improved healthcare services, expanded health insurance coverage, agricultural mechanisation and youth and women empowerment programmes.
Ododo emphasised that security remains the foundation of development, noting that 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 across the state.
He also promoted the Kogi Rebrand Initiative, urging Kogites across the world to become ambassadors of the state by projecting its strengths and opportunities while promoting Nigeria with confidence.
Member representing Kabba/Bunu/Ijumu Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Salman Idris, said Governor Ododo was working closely with the Federal Government to revive the Ajaokuta Steel Company, describing the initiative as one capable of redefining the economic future of Kogi State and Nigeria. He urged Kogites in the diaspora to support the administration by bringing home investments, expertise and global networks.
Participants at the meeting commended the governor for what they described as remarkable progress in infrastructure, security, education, healthcare and economic development.
They pledged to contribute their professional expertise, technical knowledge and global experience towards the development of Kogi State while mobilising investors to take
advantage of the state’s economic opportunities.
They also expressed support for President Tinubu’s reforms, saying they were restoring investor confidence and laying the foundation for sustainable economic growth.