By Abu Micheal, Lokoja
It is no longer news that revenue accruing to state governments has been on the decline, forcing economic experts to conclude that many Nigerian states are either not viable or have failed or heading for failure unless such state governments begin to look inwardly to augment allocation from the federation account through projects that are revenue generating.
Kogi State under Governor Idris Wada aptly fits the bill of states that appear to be ahead of time in this new thinking with its intense, massive drive towards initiating and executing projects intended to ensure the future growth of the state with less dependences.
The Kogi House project at the Abuja Central Business District, the remodeling of Kogi Hotels, the construction of the mega motor, park at Felele in Lokoja, and the institute of vocational training and advanced technology, which has been completed, are notable, verifiable examples of this vision.
Governor Wada inaugurated a world class institute for technical and vocational training.
Located in Lokoja the Kogi State Capital, The Nigeria-Korea Friendship Institute of Vocational Training and Advancement Technology which is a joint project by the Korea International Cooperation Agency(KOICA) and the Kogi State Government is regarded as a huge boost to technical education in Nigeria.
Students of Kogi origin, sponsored by government, went for training in Korea Republic, and were well equipped to handle the equipment in the technological centre, described as “world class”.
Graduate from the institute will become useful candidates of Kogi State and Nigeria and will impact positively on Kogi, Nigeria and themselves because many of them will go out and set up their own businesses”.
Recent economic recession has shown that the task of governance in the present times calls for ingenuity on the part of policy makers and resource managers.
The mega terminal whose work has been completed, is meant to generate revenue, the facility would provide quality services to road transport workers, vehicle operators and travelers alike.
The park located at Felele, along Abuja-Lokoja highway, awarded at the cost of N1.2 billion would meet the needs of the state in view of its gateway status, with twenty-three states criss crossing the state on a daily basis. Facilities available at the park include a clinic, automobile workshop, eatery, a bank, police post, offices and shops. It is designed to help de congest the highway of vehicles that cluster the road and cause obstruction to free flow of traffic.
The terminal is the first of its kind in Nigeria, focusing on revenue generation while also placing the people at the heart of the project. By the time the terminal becomes operational, an estimated 50,000 people from across the country will use the facilities.
The parking lots of the busses section is expected to accommodate about 250 buses, public convenience, drivers lounge and 17 buildings designed to host various business activities.
The mega park would accommodate two hundred and fifty buses.
Kogi Hotel project remodelling would provide quality accommodation, conference and sports facilities for the people of the state and top calibre visitors to the state capital.
The transformation of Kogi Hotel will provide high quality accommodation, conference facilities, sports facilities for people and for visitors.
Every visitor adds value to the economy of the state. Wada has no doubt worked for now and the future. The Kogi Hotels project is 95 percent completed would be commissioned any moment from now.
Kogi is pregnant with projects ongoing across the state. Projects such as the 500 housing units in Ganaja and crusher, the State University Teaching Hospital, the Kogi diagnostic and imaging centre and the Kogi House project, Abuja, a seventeen storey edifice, are some on-going projects when completed expected to complement revenue generation in the state.
Other projects on-going that would have direct bearing on the lives of the people are the 16km Ganaja-Otokiti road, welcome to Lokoja-new market road, and the township roads in Mopa, Iyara, Egbe, Kabba, Ankpa, Dekina, Lokoja and Koton-karfe. The administration has so far completed 58 road projects across the state. Governor Wada on assumption of office made it a policy to complete projects inherited by his administration some of these projects include the completion of greater Lokoja water works, the Confluence Beach Hotels, the Confluence Stadium and the state secretariat complex phase II amongst several others.
