Kogi Approves Renovation Of State Broadcasting Headquarters, other projects

By Muslimat Itopa

The Kogi State Government has approved the comprehensive renovation of the headquarters of the Kogi State Broadcasting Corporation in Lokoja.

The approval was part of decisions taken at the State Executive Council meeting presided over by Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo in Lokoja on Sunday.

The headquarters of the corporation was last renovated during the second term of former Governor Ibrahim Idris.

The council also approved the installation of solar power systems at the corporation’s booster stations in Ochaja and Okene to improve transmission and operational efficiency.

The council further approved quarterly media briefings by the Ministry of Information and Communications to keep the public abreast of government policies and programmes.

The council commended President Bola Tinubu for his developmental strides, particularly the ongoing reconstruction of the Abuja-Lokoja-Okene-Benin Road, which it described as a strategic infrastructure that will enhance connectivity between the North-Central and South-South zones and boost trade, investment and agricultural activities.

Briefing newsmen, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Timothy Ojoma, said the council approved the procurement and distribution of fertilisers and other agricultural inputs to farmers across the state.

Ojoma said the intervention was in line with the administration’s commitment to food security and reduction in the cost of food items.

He said the council also reviewed progress on the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone supported by the African Development Bank, adding that Kogi had met key requirements, including feasibility studies, site preparation and acquisition of Certificate of Occupancy for take-off.

On his part, the Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development, Taiye Abanika, said the council approved the construction of the second phase of students’ hostel and supply of furniture at the Confluence University of Science and Technology Teaching Hospital, Okene.

Abanika said the project would ease accommodation challenges for students undergoing clinical training. He also disclosed that preliminary works, including land clearing, had commenced at the site of the proposed Kogi International Airport.

Other approvals by the council include bills to strengthen government agencies and the End Care Programme targeted at over 5,000 indigent residents of the state.