The Kogi State Commissioner for Water Resources, Engr. Yahaya M.D. Farouk, has said Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo possesses the political will to drive all-round development of the state’s key economic sectors.
Farouk spoke in Lokoja shortly after returning from Kuwait as a member of the delegation led by the governor.
He explained that the visit was a deliberate initiative to unlock financing for water, agriculture, energy, education, minerals and industrial development, among other sectors. Securing funds for the water sector, he said, was one of its central objectives.
According to him, only a responsive administration would take members of its cabinet along on such a mission, as this ensures a level playing field and preserves the integrity of government through transparency and accountability.
“It is important to note that we have just returned from Kuwait with His Excellency, the Chief Servant of Kogi State, Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, who personally led the delegation. This commitment is a further attestation that he means well for his people. The trip was not a luxury; it was a genuine commitment to governance and a sincere one for that matter,” the commissioner said.
He described the governor as a sincere leader full of compassion for his fellow humans, adding that “this trip was successful and the Governor will continue to pursue the vision for the benefit of all.”
Farouk said the initiative was designed to attract affordable development financing, technical expertise and strategic partnerships for the implementation of the Kogi State Development Plan 2024–2056. He added that the state was now open to a new development partnership with key Kuwaiti institutions, with technical teams expected to move from high-level engagements to the preparation of priority projects for implementation.
The commissioner assured residents that, with the drive for excellence in governance, Kogi would stand tall among its contemporaries, and that challenges such as access to potable water would soon be a thing of the past.
Reports indicate that at the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED), Ododo and his delegation met with the Acting Director-General, Mr. Rashaid A. Al-Bader, and senior officials of the Fund. The governor presented Kogi’s development vision and outlined the state’s priority areas for international cooperation.
He was said to be seeking a comprehensive, long-term partnership capable of transforming the state’s natural and human resources into sustainable economic opportunities. The governor identified Kogi’s strategic location, extensive water resources, agricultural potential, solid minerals and emerging energy opportunities as assets that could drive job creation, food security, industrialisation and improved living standards, if backed by the right infrastructure and technical expertise.
The emerging partnership is expected to focus on water infrastructure, irrigation and agricultural transformation, power and renewable energy, solid minerals and beneficiation, agro-industrial development, transport, communications and ICT, education and healthcare. It will also cover project preparation, feasibility studies, engineering designs, technical assistance, institutional capacity development, and environmental and social assessments.
Beyond development financing, the governor and his team held talks with Kuwait University on collaboration in education, research, innovation, engineering, agriculture, water-resource management and technology. Ododo met the university’s President, Prof. Dina Musaed Al-Mailem, and both sides explored knowledge exchange, research collaboration and capacity development between the university and tertiary institutions in Kogi.
In another major engagement, the delegation met Kuwait’s Minister of Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy, Dr. Subaih Abdulaziz Al-Mukhaizeem. Discussions centred on water infrastructure, irrigation, renewable energy, power development and technical cooperation, areas considered particularly relevant to Kogi’s plans to expand irrigation, promote all-season agriculture, develop agro-processing and build reliable energy infrastructure to support industrial growth.
The mission also opened talks on commerce, investment, industrial cooperation and value addition, as the state seeks stronger economic linkages with Kuwaiti businesses and institutions.
A major outcome of the visit is the establishment of a technical process to drive the agreements and understandings reached. The teams will undertake project documentation, feasibility and technical assessments, and other preparatory work required to translate the discussions into concrete projects.
Members of the governor’s delegation included the Commissioner for Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, Asiwaju Asiru Idris, FCA; the Commissioner for Works, Hon. Momoh Ozigi Deedat; the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Hon. Timothy Ojomah; and the Commissioner for Water Resources, Hon. Yahaya M.D. Farouk. Others were the State Auditor-General, Hon. Yakubu Yusuf Okala, and the Chief Economic Adviser to the Governor, Hon. Nda Salami.
