About 18 years after it was created, Kogi State is still struggling to find its feet in the area of economic development.

Created on Aug. 27, 1991, by the military regime of Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (rtd), the state was among those said to have become necessary to spread development to rural areas.

Mr. Mathew Opkanachi, a teacher, who was among the jubilant crowd that welcomed the new state in Lokoja, 18 years ago, says that much was expected from it from the onset.
“Our joy was premised on the vision that the state creation would end years of neglect for the area,” he says.

He says that the residents had expected that the abundant resources in the state would be explored toward some growth that would improve the living standard of the people.
“We were dreaming of a state with a solid economic base that would attract investors”, he adds.

Justice Umaru Eri, one of the key agitators of the state, gave kudos to its first Military Governor, Col Zakari Danladi(Rtd), for laying a foundation for the effective harnessing of its harnessing its economic potential.

Danladi had started by setting up a committee to produce a blue print toward the economic prosperity of the state.

The committee, chaired by the Ohinoyi of Ebiraland, Dr Ado Ibrahim, was
expected to identify and suggest ways the state’s economic potential could be exploited.
But 18 years after, and after many successive regimes, analysts have expressed mixed feelings on the state of the economy of the area.

Mr. Yusuf Turaki, a businessman, says the state is still in the doldrums.
“The state is still in the doldrums and that was not the dream of the founding fathers,” Turaki told newsmen in Lokoja.

Others, however, argue that the state was not doing badly “given the general economic circumstance of the country”.

One such optimist is Alhaji Ali Mustafa, a trader.

“I think we have not fared badly given the situation in states created at the same time,” he says.
But while the debate about the state’s report rages, Mallam Hakeem Abubakar, an economist based in Lokoja, has cautioned the people against being too pessimistic.

“The people must not lose hope of a better Kogi in future,” he told a youth gathering in Kogi last month.

According to him, the fact that the current administration, led by Gov. Ibrahim Idris, demonstrated enough political will to exploit its human and natural resources toward economic prosperity, is a pointer to better things to come.

He says he is particularly impressed that government is establishing 84 local industries.
“We expect that those industries will inject life into the economy, create jobs and tap resources,” he says.

Hakeem suggests a public-private partnership mechanism in that respect.

He also suggests that steps be taken to promote general participation to meet set goals.
It was perhaps to kick-start such partnership that the Federal Government recently organised a one-day workshop for potential cluster industrialists.

Handled by the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), the workshop was aimed at enlightening participants on how to establish and manage such cluster industries.
According to the Director-General of RMRDC, Prof. Peter Onwualu, the workshop was to boost efforts of the state government to establish such industries in the rural areas.

Some participants, who spoke on the workshop, described it as “very rewarding”.

Mr. Martins Okekwu, described the experience derived from the event as “very enriching and very crucial” to the bid to industrialise Kogi State.

Gov. Idris, who also spoke at the workshop, lauded the RMRDC for its collaborative efforts.
He said that most of the industries would be centred around the various mineral resources of the state.

The governor called on the private sector to join his administration in changing the economic fortunes of the state.

Mr. Adebisi Olanrewaju, a resident of Lokoja, the state capital, commended the state government for its efforts. He, however, suggested that the industrial plans be placed on a sound footing to stand the test of time.

“Government must institutionalise the economic structures so that they will outlive every administration,” he said.

He noted the state had abundant resources in the agricultural, industrial and mineral sectors, stressing that such must be fully exploited if Kogi is to move forward.

Management Consultant, Mr John Alabi described the state as a “haven for investors in view of its abundant agricultural, human and natural resources capable of transforming it”.

He listed available resources to include coffee, cashew, cocoa, beniseed and palm produce.
Others include mineral resources such as marble, iron Ore, feldspar, kaolin, gold, ornamental stones, talc, quart, mica, and limestone.

According to him, these tremendous resources have real economic value, which can enhance the revenue profile of the state and enhance the economic fortune of its citizens.

Dr Tunde Arosanyin, Chairman of the Kogi State Chapter of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), also agrees that the state has the best quality of many agricultural products the world over.

Among such quality products, he says, are cassava, cashew, mango, ginger, guava, yams, sugar cane, cocoa rice, beans, maize, genuine corn and millet.

He says that it is easy to cultivate such products in view of favourable weather condition the state is blessed with, all year round.

“In fact, not fewer than 20 African countries, among them Ghana, Cote d’ivoire and Benin Republic, have written to the association seeking assistance to purchase various cash crops from here,” he disclosed.

Tunde noted, however, that the farmers in the state might not be able to meet the increasing demands from foreign buyers due to their limited capacity to process and improve the quality of the crops to attract better price.

He blamed the output that on low level of technology.

As the stakeholders seek ways toward a better Kogi economy, analysts have suggested that all steps in that direction must be well rooted, not only to benefit the people, but also to stand the test of time.