Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo has been the executive governor of Kogi State since January 2024, and he hasn’t let his sights wander.
As stated in section 4(2)(b) of the 1999 constitution as amended, “The primary purpose of government is the security and welfare of the people,” he has been dedicated to fulfilling the fundamental duty of government. “The security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government,” according to the Nigerian Constitution, and this should be understood by everyone assuming political responsibility.
This clause highlights that protecting citizens’ safety and welfare is the government’s first duty.
To provide effective leadership, Ododo’s government in Kogi State has reached out to all sectors. The public has grown so fond of him that they are already preparing for his second term three years in advance.
He used every tactic available to him to deal with the issues his people were facing. “The ability to identify a problem before it becomes an emergency is one of the tests of leadership,” says Arnold H. Glasow.
So much has been done by the governor in that direction.
Since he thinks that the economy will benefit if the state is secure, he gave security high priority.
Funding development is a deliberate, non-kinetic way to addressing insecurity that the state government has recently chosen.
The Kogi State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Hon. Kingsley Femi Fanwo, revealed this at a press briefing. Under Ododo’s direction, the State is making significant investments in vital infrastructure and agricultural empowerment to foster an atmosphere that prevents insecurity.
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“Agriculture is being used as a weapon against insecurity as well as a tool for food security,” Fanwo stated.
“We are tackling poverty at its source and creating a more secure and productive society by enabling our young people and rural communities to cultivate and produce.”
The Commissioner also emphasized how the State’s security architecture has incorporated contemporary technology, pointing out that improvements in communication, intelligence tools, and surveillance systems are already having an effect on early detection and quick response.
The governor has been true to his Consolidation and Continuity Manifesto since assuming the role of leader and wishes to be referred to as Kogi State’s chief servant. As a matter of fact, he has consistently enhanced it.
His pledge to guarantee that Kogi State’s citizens are fed has not been renounced. You may remember that Ododo emphasized the importance of Kogi becoming self-sufficient in food production both in his inaugural speech and during his campaigns.
Thus, the Kogi State administration reaffirmed its commitment to revolutionizing the state’s agricultural sector and raising farmers’ standard of living when it recently inked the Food for Lagos collaboration, promising to benefit Kogi farmers.
The State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Femi Fanwo, provided media with a press statement outlining the strategic actions already taken to realize the initiative’s economic potential.
Fanwo said that Governor Ododo has started taking tangible steps to increase food production, upgrade infrastructure, and draw high-value investments into the state’s agricultural sector less than two weeks after Lagos State and the governor signed the historic agreement.
Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL), which is directing investments into rural farming communities, and RAAMP (Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project), which is assisting in the rehabilitation of rural roads to improve access to markets, were also highlighted by the Commissioner.
As seen by the numerous projects the government has undertaken, Ododo’s focus on the health sector is particularly encouraging, and the effort is a landmark.
Recently, the governor established a State Task Force on Primary Health Care Services group.
Comrade Joel Salifu, the Deputy Governor of Kogi State, urged the Committee’s members to collaborate in order to create a more robust and healthy Kogi State during the Committee’s inauguration in Lokoja.
According to Comrade Joel, the current administration’s dedication to the welfare of the populace is what motivated the Committee’s audacious creation.
We acknowledge that healthcare is an essential part of the growth of our state and not only a social service.
“We can improve health outcomes, lower mortality rates, and improve our people’s overall quality of life by strengthening our primary healthcare system.”
According to new 2023 statistics from StatiSense and EFInA, Kogi State emerged as Nigeria’s top-performing state in terms of adult insurance coverage, with 11% of its population enrolled. According to the data, Kogi is more committed to providing high-quality, reasonably priced healthcare than Lagos (9%), Oyo (7%), and the Federal Capital Territory (6%).
Ododo’s accomplishment of paying off the Kogi State Government’s N98.8 billion debt in his first 15 months in office was another significant milestone.
At a State Executive Council meeting, Mukadam Asiwaju Asiru Idris, the Commissioner of Finance, Budget, and Economic Planning, went over the breakdown of the settled debts, including the fully paid and liquidated N5 billion Series 1 and N3 billion Series 2 bonds that the former Governor HE Idris Wada administration had taken out for infrastructure.
“The previous administration’s salary bailout of N50.8 billion has been paid in full and liquidated. Payback and full liquidation of the N10 billion ECA-backed infrastructure loan have been completed.
The past administration’s N15 billion infrastructure loan from Zenith Bank Plc has been paid off in full.
“The N15 billion infrastructure loan that the previous administration obtained from UBA PLC has been paid back and completely repaid.
The long-term foreign-and local-currency issuer default ratings (IDRs) or credit ratings of Kogi State have been raised by Fitch Ratings from “B-” to “B” with a stable outlook, he said. As of September 30, 2024, the state’s debt is at N40,530,792,606.34.
The governor attended the 2025 Annual Meeting of the African Development Bank (AFDB) in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, to look for strategic funding for solid minerals, transportation, and agriculture in an effort to make Kogi an investment destination.
According to reports, he was invited as a Special Guest of the Continental Development Finance Institution. His attendance at the esteemed forum is indicative of the state government’s dedication to strengthening ties with international financial institutions in order to secure vital development funding that will unlock the state’s enormous economic potential and enhance the quality of life for its citizens.
Kingsley Femi Fanwo, the Commissioner for Information and Communications, said in a press release that the Governor is working with AFDB leadership to obtain specific funding from various specialized financing windows of the Bank. The Governor is concentrating on three key areas: solid minerals, transportation infrastructure, especially the construction of a proposed airport in Kogi State, and agriculture.
The governor gave food to more than 1,000 widows in the state while reaffirming his commitment to the welfare of the state’s vulnerable in keeping with his campaign pledges. He added that the hardships faced by the state’s widows would not be forgotten and promised not to politicize their affairs.
Several noteworthy accomplishments during Ododo’s administration demonstrated his innovative leadership skills.
“Kogi State is a very good example of where governance thrives above politics,” Mr. Jude Ekem, a political analyst, told our reporter.
It’s going great for the governor. I must give him credit for putting the state’s government servants’ welfare first. He swiftly disburses pensions to pensioners. Any successful government cannot afford to take the welfare of its employees lightly.
Alhaji Mustapha Ahmed, a Kogi native living in Lagos State, reminded our reporter of the governor’s outstanding leadership and said that every Kogi native should be proud of him given the amount of progress Kogi is seeing.
As an Igala, he insisted that Ododo’s administration has demonstrated that talent, not background, is what counts in governance. Ododo doesn’t need to run for office in 2027, he emphasized, because all Kogi indigenous people will support his reelection and allow him to finish the excellent work he is doing.
We used to say that it was this or that ethnic group’s turn, but Ododo has demonstrated to us that skill, not the governor’s background, is what counts. Despite my Igala heritage, I must say that I will not back my brother if he runs against Ododo in 2027 since the governor is doing well and we should give him the chance to continue his excellent work. Examine our youth. The governor’s initiatives have since given them the chance to work for pay. They are content civil servants. Senior citizens are content. The people are all content.
