Our Commitments is hinge on moving Kogi Forward - Wada-Awoniyi
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| WADA-AWONIYI 4 KOGI 2012 |
VISION:
To transform Kogi State and place it among the 10 most developed states in the country
MISSION
To deliver the benefits of good governance to the people of Kogi State by harnessing the resources of the State, improving the internally generated revenue profile and using it to impact on the general welfare of our people through the development of human capital and the provision of rural and urban infrastructure in a transparent, accountable and equitable manner.
In meeting this objective, critical attention will be given to the following broad sectors:
• EDUCATION
• HEALTHCARE
• AGRICULTURE
• RURAL DEVELOPMENT
• INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
• TRADE & INVESTMENT
• CULTURE & TOURISM
• INFRASTRUCTURE
• YOUTH /SPORTS DEVELOPMENT
• WOMEN EMPOWERMENT
• SECURITY
1. EDUCATION:
We are committed to ensuring that all Kogi children have access to meaningful and qualitative primary and secondary education. To achieve this, we shall work with stakeholders and partners to ensure that educational infrastructure in the state are in conformity with best practices in the core area of science, technology and moral education.
2. HEALTHCARE
The focus of our healthcare policy is to ensure easy access to quality primary healthcare and to strengthen affordability and quality of secondary and tertiary healthcare in partnership with national and international healthcare delivery organizations. In doing this, the state will be guided by the objectives of the National Health Policies and United Nations Millennium Development Goals for health.
3. AGRICULTURE
Agriculture will be repositioned to play its role as the main catalyst of economic growth and development. The state will engage with local and international partners to ensure the realization of this objective. The goal is to move the state from subsistence farming to mechanized agriculture and to facilitate ready access to markets for the state’s agricultural products. Farmers will be encouraged and assisted to access agriculture development facilities that are available both within and outside the country.
4. TRADE AND INVESTMENT
Taking advantage of Kogi’s unique position as the Confluence State and a convergence point for both southward and northward bound travellers, we shall create the enabling environment to attract both local and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to the state.
5. CULTURE AND TOURISM
Kogi State is blessed with rich cultural and tourism endowments. Given the historical importance of Lokoja as the first colonial administrative capital of Nigeria and the presence of several colonial relics in the state, we are committed to partnering with relevant federal agencies in the preservation of historical sites and to promoting and enhancing the cultural heritage of our people.
6. INFRASTRUCTURE/ RURAL DEVELOPMENT
We will work to ensure an equitable distribution of amenities while developing both rural and urban infrastructure to improve the quality of life of our people and stimulate the entrepreneurship.
7. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)
We will promote the use of Information and Communication Technology as the vehicle for growth and development in the state.
8. SECURITY
As there can be no development in an atmosphere of insecurity, we will work to ensure security of life and property by providing good governance and reducing poverty. Law and order will be strengthened to protect the people and ensure that law abiding citizens are able to carry out their legitimate businesses without let or hindrance.
9. YOUTH /SPORTS DEVELOPMENT
Using the discipline of sports, we will hone the creativity and vitality of young people in order to help them build their inner resources and skills to cope with pressures and develop the spirit of self reliance. This will enable young people to play positive roles in all sectors of social and economic life in the state.
10. WOMEN EMPOWERMENT
Because women are so critical to national development, all policies of government will be designed to be gender sensitive and woman friendly. It will be the policy of government to involve women in all aspects of governance.
OUR ACTION PLAN
EDUCATION:
Education is the key to social and cultural cohesion and an indispensible tool in the drive to make Kogi state more competitive and dynamic. Our strategic objective is to develop an educational system that is structured to keep pace with changes in the knowledge society and works to improve literacy particularly with regard to Information and Communication Technology (ICT).
Our major strategy will be to improve the quality of facilities in all our schools and intensify training and recruitment of teachers in science, technical and vocational fields. To achieve this, we shall:-
• Build, renovate and equip primary and secondary schools throughout the state with adequate and up to date instructional materials, providing them also with modern school laboratories equipped with easy to use science and mathematics kits.
• Strengthen the inspectorate division and empower it to carry out its responsibilities.
• Develop the capacity of teachers by exposing them to continuous training to update their skills and improve the quality of their output.
• Encourage the establishment of vocational centres for non formal training and skills acquisition.
• Strengthen the capacity of tertiary institutions in the state and encourage them to excel in the quality of training they offer, especially in the core areas of science, mathematics and technology.
HEALTHCARE:
The focus of our healthcare policy is easy access to quality and affordable healthcare. Our major objectives are:
• To improve the availability of and access to quality healthcare for people, both in the rural areas and urban centres.
• To strengthen rural public health infrastructure and services.
• To reduce infant and maternal mortality rate.
• To prevent and control communicable and non-communicable diseases.
Kogi State is mostly rural and access to good healthcare is limited and unaffordable living the more vulnerable, especially pregnant women and young children at the mercy of preventable diseases. To ameliorate this, we shall work with stakeholders and partners to:
• Build, equip and locate health centres and cottage hospitals within easy reach of most communities in the state
• Give special consideration to pregnant women, children under the age of 5 years and the elderly in the delivery of healthcare throughout the state.
• Establish and or strengthen a health insurance scheme for both public and private sector workers.
AGRICULTURE
Agriculture is the backbone of the rural economy in Nigeria and potentially the largest source of rural employment. Kogi State is primarily rural and agrarian. The state is blessed with vast arable land and an aqua body that lends itself to fisheries development. Currently agriculture in Kogi is still at the subsistence level.
Our policy in this sector is guided by the need to modernize agriculture to enable it realize its potential as the main catalyst for economic growth in Kogi State. Towards this end we shall:-
• Work to attract large scale mechanized farmers to the state by facilitating easy access to arable land.
• Undertake large-scale land preparation as an incentive for local co-operative groups willing to venture into mechanized farming
• Provide Agriculture extension services to local farmers.
• Work with partners to provide improved seedlings and make research findings readily available to farmers.
• Review the existing supply chain for fertilizer to eliminate profiteering and ensure easy access for end users.
• Work in partnership with the private sector to make tractors and ancillary equipment available for hire and purchase at affordable rates.
• Provide good quarantine networks, vaccines and other basic necessities required to boost livestock farming in the state.
• Encourage investments in oil palm plantations to achieve export quality and production level.
TRADE AND INVESTMENT
Lokoja, the Kogi State capital is a major gateway to the southern and northern parts of Nigeria. Kogi is also home to the confluence of the rivers Niger and Benue and the Ajaokuta steel complex.
These factors along with ongoing development of inland ports in Lokoja and Idah, the siting of the Greenfield petroleum refinery project in Itobe, the Geregu Independent Power Plant at Ajaokuta and the availability of such mineral resources as coal, iron-ore, marble and limestone make Kogi state a veritable destination for investments. With this in mind we shall:-
• Establish an industrial zone and encourage investors to come and take full advantage of these endowments.
• Prevail on the Federal Government to see to the reactivation, completion and commissioning of the Ajaokuta steel complex.
• Promote the establishment of Small and Medium scale Enterprises (SME).
CULTURE AND TOURISM
Kogi is a state of rich cultural diversity. Being the first post amalgamation colonial capital of Nigeria, Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, is also home to several relics and monuments that are an embodiment of the colonial history of Nigeria.
To promote the rich and diverse cultural heritage of the state and to celebrate the central role of Lokoja and indeed the whole state in the evolution of modern Nigeria, we shall:-
• Work with relevant federal agencies to see to the restoration and preservation of colonial relics and monuments and ensure that they get adequate exposure to attract tourism.
• Develop the confluence as a major tourist destination.
• Study and implement the plan for the mount Patti land area including the construction of a 5 star hotel and golf courses.
INFRASTRUCTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT
The thrust of our rural development initiatives will be to empower communities and individuals by providing infrastructure that enables them to drive the development efforts themselves. To this end, we shall:-
• Embark on a state-wide construction and rehabilitation of rural feeder roads to facilitate easy transportation of farm produce.
• Intensify work on existing rural electrification and water supply projects while initiating new ones.
• Sustain work on the construction and rehabilitation of inter and intra city roads across the state, ensuring that all local government headquarters are linked by a network of good roads.
SPORTS AND YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
The vitality and creativity of the youth are essential in our drive to make Kogi one of the 10 most developed states in Nigeria. Young people must therefore be motivated and assisted to achieve their full potentials. In dealing with them we will evolve strategies that ensure that they remain healthy, safe and make positive contributions in order to achieve economic wellbeing. We shall:-
• Encourage them to take advantage of opportunities in all sectors to engage in constructive enterprises.
• Commit to the construction of a standard stadium in Lokoja and encourage the development of mini stadia in the Local Government Areas to stimulate sports development at the grassroots level.
• Revamp and reintroduce school sports programs to encourage inter-school competitions.
• Encourage youth participation in decision making process and provide fora for interactive engagement with government.
• Support education programs in schools and higher institutions that encourage students and young people to keep away from drugs, violence and thuggery.
WOMEN EMPOWERMENT
Women play a very important role in the stability and economic wellbeing of the family and the nation. All our policies are therefore guided by the need to strengthen the woman’s voice and empower her to play her rightful role in the development of the community and the nation. Specifically, we shall:-
• Commit to the realization of the affirmative action goal of 35% representation for women in appointments to public office.
• Work with relevant stakeholders to fight all types of violence against women.
• Develop the capacity of women engaged in small scale enterprises by providing them training and access to soft term facilities in partnership with other stakeholders.
• Involve women in critical decision making processes and create fora for regular interaction.
