Yahaya Bello inaugurates 32-year development plan in Kogi

Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, has inaugurated the state 32 -year plan (2023–2055), saying while the current New Direction blueprint is a medium term plan, the ‘32-year Development Plan’ is a prospective plan that would facilitate the state’s developmental aspiration on a long term basis.

Bello, who made this known on Friday, said: “We are being intentional about a 32-year development plan now because we want the future of Kogi State that is optimised to harness the massive advances in human development which are inevitable over the next three decades.”

Governor Bello stressed that at the end of the committee’s exercise, he would appreciate action points that would guide his and subsequent administrations on how to make Kogi State Nigeria’s confluence of opportunities in reality.

He stated that in 32 years from now, he envisioned a state that has a strong and sufficient economy, with the highest standard of living obtainable anywhere across the nation alongside abundant social-economic opportunities for all residence and citizens.

READ ALSO: Armed robbers attack three banks in Kogi

The governor said the major duty of the developers of this plan would be to interpret the vision and detail the means of achieving it, stressing that the plan must provide for new venture creation and development of industrial hubs in an environment where foreign direct investment would thrive and local enterprises flourish.

“The plan must stipulate an improved network of housing, roads, bridges, telecommunication, and electricity infrastructure across the entire state. It must also adjust for the effect of climate change while promoting incremental improvement in education and healthcare, human capital development, security, agriculture, and diversity management,” he added.

Governor Bello further expressed passion about launching Kogi State into a development trajectory that would outlive his tenure; noting that the state developmental plan would not only sustain the current successes of his administration but build on them.

He recalled that in the past years of his government, good progress was made in education, health, infrastructure, youth empowerment, civil service and pension reform, agriculture, and human capital management as well as critical areas of diversity management, cooperation, and integration.

Bello, however, tasked members of the steering and technical committees to deliver a developmental plan that was not only far-reaching, functional, practical, and sustainable but also bold and transformational.

He also charged them to avoid personal and clique interests while they collaborate in the overall best interest of the public, deploy, and conduct extensive research, in-depth analysis of gathered data which must be extracted from a wide spectrum engagement cutting across all critical sectors.

The Star