Kogi State Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo has met with the Federal Government to seek support for the state’s development priorities following his recent engagement with officials and development institutions in Kuwait.
Ododo met with the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy in Abuja on Sunday, accompanied by Kogi State Commissioner for Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, Asiru Idris.
The meeting focused on potential federal support for Kogi’s development programme and opportunities arising from the governor’s recent Kuwait mission.
During the engagement, Ododo briefed the minister on the objectives of the visit and the opportunities it created for development cooperation, including potential collaboration with the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED).
Kogi targets water, agriculture and energy investment
The governor said the state was pursuing a phased development programme covering water security, irrigation and agriculture, reliable energy, and mineral and industrial value addition.
The priorities are contained within the state’s long-term development framework and are intended to increase economic activity, create employment and improve living conditions.
Kogi’s recent Kuwait engagement has also involved discussions around development financing, technical expertise and strategic partnerships. The state government has reported that technical teams are expected to move from high-level discussions towards preparation of priority projects.
Kuwait partnership
The Kuwait mission was part of the state government’s effort to attract external financing and technical partnerships for its development agenda.
The Kogi government has separately announced a bilateral trade and industrial development agreement with Kuwait as part of its efforts to attract investment and unlock the state’s economic potential.
The next stage will depend on the detailed project proposals, financing terms and implementation arrangements agreed with the relevant institutions.