‘Making Plateau The Commercial Hub Of Northern Nigeria Shall Remain Priority For Our Admin’- Plateau Gov Mutfwang
The Oasis Reporters
May 30, 2023
By Asile Abel, Jos
Newly sworn-in governor of Plateau State, Barr Caleb Mutfwang, has said his administration would work towards making the State the economic and commercial hub of Northern Nigeria, leveraging on its natural endowments by creating a friendly environment and ease of Doing Business for all business concerns.
Mutfwang made this known in his inaugural speech as Governor of Plateau state during his swearing-in.
I am honored to have taken over as the 6th Executive Governor of Plateau State, and I am excited to begin my journey of serving and leading this wonderful state. Together with my Deputy Governor, Hon. @JosephinePiyo, we pledge to unite the people of Plateau and steer the state… pic.twitter.com/HmdOEWPXob
— Caleb Mutfwang (@CalebMutfwang) May 29, 2023
He said ” As a signatory to the Open Government Partnership, we will improve the efficiency of the Public Service in line with global best practices. “
“We will also deliberately explore Public Private Partnership (PPP) as a philosophy for the development of all critical sectors in
agriculture “
“Our land is green, blessed, fertile and supportive of agriculture, coupled with the serene and clement weather conditions, favourable for special agricultural products.”
He added that ” By the grace of God, we will adopt a pragmatic approach to ensure food sufficiency, food security, expanded employment generation and higher income levels. “
“We will give special attention to agricultural products in which the state has comparative advantage to address the scourge of poverty. Underperforming and moribund agricultural institutions such as Agricultural Service Training Company (ASTC), Plateau Agricultural Development Programme (PADP), and the re-acquired Brewery Agro Research Company (BARC) farm among others shall be reinvigorated.”
Bar Caleb Mutfwang also added that “conscious of the fact that agriculture has been and will continue to be the mainstay of the new Plateau economy; we shall take deliberate and immediate steps to procure fertilizer and other farming inputs for distribution to farmers at subsidized rates. “
“The Time is Now to support our small farmers through organized cooperatives. We will seek to ultimately transform small scale farming to mechanised farming and build the necessary infrastructure to enable our farmers key into dry farming practices so as to make agriculture a profitable venture for our populace.”
He added that ” Tourism is a major contributor to GDP, the world over. “
“Plateau State has a great advantage because of its clement weather sadly, this sector has not been given adequate attention. “
” We shall explore the Public Private Partnership financing option to develop this all important sector in order to boost its contribution to the growth of our economy.”
“Plateau State is divinely endowed with solid minerals that if properly harnessed, will boost our internally generated revenue (IGR), and in conjunction with the Federal Government, will reorganize the mining sector to make it safer, profitable and beneficial to the state and the miners. Local miners will be empowered towards better mining practices and licensing rights, open marketing outlets, and help Plateau State to gain statutorily from its minerals.”
” We shall create a Special Purpose Vehicle to enable the state benefit maximally from the opportunities in the sector.”
The Governor added that his administration would boost commercial activities by creating wealth, thereby making Plateau State the commercial hub of the North.”
“We will provide greater security, open access to credit facilities, and encourage development of markets and marketing structures in the state capital and across the rest of Plateau State.
We shall resolve the controversy surrounding the Jos Main Market and ensure that this glorious legacy is restored.
Governor Mutfwang added that ” We will also encourage local governments to build standard markets and make businesses more organized and efficient”.
