Kogi State Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo has led a high-level delegation to Kuwait in a fresh effort to attract development financing, technical expertise and investment partnerships for priority projects across the state.
The visit resulted in new discussions with the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) and other Kuwaiti institutions on projects contained in the Kogi State Development Plan 2024–2056, according to a statement by Kogi State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo.
At the Kuwait Fund, Ododo met with Acting Director-General Rashaid A. Al-Bader and senior officials, where he presented Kogi’s development priorities and outlined areas in which the state is seeking international cooperation.
The governor said Kogi was seeking a long-term partnership that could help transform its natural and human resources into sustainable economic opportunities. He pointed to the state’s agricultural potential, water resources, solid minerals, strategic location and emerging energy opportunities as areas with potential to support economic development.
The Kuwait Fund indicated its readiness, in principle, to collaborate with Kogi on priority development projects, subject to the required technical, financial and institutional appraisal processes. This means that the engagements have opened a pathway for project preparation and assessment, rather than representing a confirmed disbursement of development funds.
The proposed areas of cooperation include water infrastructure, irrigation and agriculture, power and renewable energy, solid minerals and mineral beneficiation, agro-industrial development, transport, communications and information and communications technology, education and healthcare.
Discussions are also expected to cover feasibility studies, engineering designs, technical assistance, institutional capacity building and environmental and social assessments as projects move toward possible implementation.
Ododo said the different areas were interconnected, arguing that better water infrastructure and irrigation could support year-round agriculture, while reliable energy could strengthen agro-processing and industrial activities. He also highlighted mineral beneficiation as a means of increasing the value retained from Kogi’s mineral resources.
The governor’s delegation also held discussions with Kuwait University on possible cooperation in education, research, innovation, engineering, agriculture, water-resource management and technology.
During the engagement, Ododo met with Kuwait University President Professor Dina Musaed Al-Mailem to explore knowledge exchange and research partnerships between the university and tertiary institutions in Kogi State. Kuwait University separately confirmed the September 27 meeting, saying the discussions focused on strengthening academic and research cooperation between the two sides.
The delegation also met with the Governor of Kuwait’s Al Ahmadi Governorate, Sheikh Humoud Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, to discuss possible cooperation in infrastructure, investment, industry and development experience.
Another meeting with Kuwait’s Minister of Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy, Dr Subaih Abdulaziz Al-Mukhaizeem, focused on water infrastructure, irrigation, renewable energy, power development and technical cooperation.
The Kuwait mission builds on Kogi’s wider efforts to attract investment and develop infrastructure around its agricultural, mineral and geographical assets. The state government has also promoted opportunities in mechanised agriculture, agro-processing, infrastructure and mineral development through its investment promotion agency.
For now, the Kogi-Kuwait engagement remains at the partnership and project-preparation stage. The proposed projects will need to undergo the relevant technical, financial and institutional assessments before financing arrangements and implementation can be finalised.
The state government says the objective is to translate the discussions into bankable projects capable of improving infrastructure, supporting agriculture and industry, creating employment and increasing economic opportunities for residents of Kogi State.