To:
His Excellency, Alhaji Ahmad Usman Ododo – Executive Governor of Kogi State
His Excellency, Alhaji Yahaya Bello – Former Governor of Kogi State
Senator Natasha Hadiza Akpoti-Uduaghan – Senator, Kogi Central
Senator Jibrin Isah (Echocho) – Senator, Kogi East
Senator Sunday Karimi – Senator, Kogi West
Hon. Leke Abejide – Member, House of Representatives
Hon. Tijani Damisa – Member, House of Representatives
Other Distinguished Political Leaders, Captains of Industry, and Development Partners of Kogi State
Urgent United Action to Address Rising Unemployment in Kogi State
Your Excellencies and Distinguished Leaders,
Recent statistics have revealed that Kogi State recorded the highest number of applicants for the 2025 Civil Defence, Nigeria Immigration Service, and Nigeria Correctional Service recruitment among Nigeria’s most populous states.
This is not just a number. It is a troubling reflection of the deepest unemployment crisis in our state’s history — one that cuts across Kogi Central, Kogi East, and Kogi West.
Our people — especially the youth — are in dire need of opportunities, while poverty and frustration grow daily. This is not the time for political divisions. It is the time for collaborative leadership that places the well-being of Kogites above all else.
Proposed Multi-Phase Employment & Poverty Reduction Plan
- Short-Term (0–12 Months)
Launch a State Skills & Enterprise Development Programme in all senatorial districts to train at least 10,000 youths annually in ICT, agriculture, renewable energy, welding, tailoring, and other trades.
Initiate Public Works Projects in all LGAs (road rehabilitation, rural electrification, environmental projects) to create immediate jobs.
Provide Tax Rebates and Incentives to businesses that employ Kogi indigenes.
- Medium-Term (1–3 Years)
Develop Agribusiness Value Chains in each district — rice and cassava in Kogi East, cashew and yam in Kogi Central, cocoa and palm oil in Kogi West.
Establish a Kogi State Enterprise Fund to finance small businesses and start-ups with low-interest loans.
Partner with federal and international programmes (N-Power, World Bank, NSQF skills qualifications) to expand employment.
- Long-Term (3–10 Years)
Create Industrial Parks and Economic Zones — one in each senatorial district — to drive manufacturing, mining, and agro-processing.
Promote Tourism Development in Central (Ebira cultural sites), East (River Niger Confluence & Idah monuments), and West (Mount Patti & Lokoja heritage sites).
Reform technical and vocational institutions to produce job-ready graduates.
- Governance Measures
Practice transparent budgeting to redirect wasted funds into job creation.
Establish a Kogi State Employment & Economic Forum comprising political leaders, captains of industry, civil society, and traditional rulers to oversee this plan.
Conclusion
This crisis belongs to all of us — and so must the solution. Kogi State is blessed with human capital, natural resources, and visionary leaders both at home and in the diaspora. If we act now, united and focused, we can reverse this trend and build a future of opportunity for every Kogite.
God bless Kogi State.
God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Signed:
Moses Emani Salami
Concerned Citizen of Kogi State
