* Links youth empowerment to security strategy, says Kogi’s mineral wealth will create jobs
Sunday Aborisade in Abuja
Governor Usman Ododo of Kogi State has declared that his administration will never negotiate with criminals, unveiling a strategy that combines aggressive security measures with youth empowerment to end illegal mining and unlock the state’s vast solid mineral resources for economic development.
Speaking with journalists on the sidelines of the Kogi State Security and Mining Summit for Youths in Abuja, Ododo said the state had adopted a dual approach of strengthening security while equipping young people with practical mining and jewellery craftsmanship skills to create sustainable jobs and deny criminal elements access to the state’s mineral wealth.
The governor stressed that Kogi’s strategic location, sharing boundaries with 10 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), made security in the state critical to the safety of Abuja and the country.
“The security of Kogi State is the security of the FCT. Any overflow of insecurity into Kogi will become a problem for Abuja. That is why we have taken it upon ourselves to address insecurity head-on,” he said.
He maintained that his administration would remain uncompromising in its fight against criminality.
“Kogi State is not a safe haven for criminals, and we will never negotiate or dialogue with them,” Ododo declared.
The governor argued that while mineral-rich communities in some parts of the country had become hotspots of insecurity, Kogi had chosen a different path by empowering its youths to participate legally in mining and value addition rather than allowing criminal networks to exploit the sector.
According to him, although Kogi possesses abundant deposits of gold, lithium, coal, beryllium, iron ore and gemstones, many of the resources have remained largely untapped.
“Yes, we have those minerals, but they have never been fully tapped or unlocked. We are out to unlock our potential in a way that benefits our people,” he said.
Ododo explained that the establishment of the Confluence University of Science and Technology was a deliberate policy to develop a skilled workforce capable of driving the state’s mining industry.
“The establishment of the university was a deliberate decision because if you want to produce a product, you must train people who fit into that system. We have minerals, but we also need people with the knowledge to develop them,” he said.
The governor said the youth mining and jewellery craftsmanship programme would provide practical skills that would enable beneficiaries to earn sustainable livelihoods while reducing unemployment and insecurity.
“What we have come here to do is to see firsthand the empowerment programme on mining and jewellery craftsmanship because we want our own people to make use of what we have.
“In Kogi State, we have promised our youths that we are not going to give them fish; we will teach them how to fish so they can provide for themselves instead of depending on government handouts,” he added.
Ododo disclosed that the state partnered an internationally recognised mining and jewellery expert, whose operations span the United Kingdom, the United States and other countries, to replicate global best practices in Kogi.
“We appealed to him to come back home and replicate in Kogi what he has been doing successfully across the world. Kogi State will serve as the pilot state for this initiative,” he said.
He also credited President Bola Tinubu with encouraging his administration to prioritise youth empowerment as a sustainable solution to unemployment and insecurity.
“I sincerely appreciate Mr. President. He told me, ‘Go and serve your people. Make sure you remove your youths from the streets.’ When I asked him how, he simply said, ‘Empower them.’ That is exactly what we are doing here today,” the governor stated.
He expressed confidence that the programme would curb illegal mining by producing licensed and skilled operators capable of taking charge of the state’s mineral resources.
“By the time they finish this programme, they will take control of these resources. Those criminals, many of whom are illegal miners stealing our minerals, will no longer have the opportunity to do so,” he said.
Addressing participants during the inauguration of the Kogi Youth Mining and Jewellery Craftsmanship Empowerment Programme, Ododo urged young people to support the policies of the Tinubu administration, saying the Federal Government’s youth-focused interventions were designed to promote entrepreneurship, create jobs and improve livelihoods.
“The Federal Government has embarked on several interventions that have direct bearing on the lives of many youths in Nigeria today. I appeal to Kogi youths not to jeopardise the love President Tinubu has shown them, but to reciprocate it with hard work, patriotism and good behaviour,” he said.
The governor disclosed that Kogi has about 32 solid mineral deposits with enormous economic potential and reiterated that his administration was determined to produce self-reliant entrepreneurs instead of youths dependent on government handouts.
Managing Director of Malivelihood Luxury, the programme’s technical partner, Dr. Olushola Awujoola, described the initiative as one of the first of its kind in West Africa, noting that it focuses on transforming raw mineral resources into finished products rather than exporting them in their crude form.
According to him, the programme received 16,900 applications from Kogi alone, while thousands of additional applications came from other states and even countries such as Ghana, Mali and South Africa.
He said after screening, 13,900 valid applications were processed, with 20 participants selected for the pioneer batch, while between 60 and 70 trainees would be admitted before the end of the year under a five-year implementation plan.
Awujoola explained that participants would undergo three months of intensive training covering mining, jewellery design, craftsmanship and other specialised areas of the jewellery industry in line with international standards.
“If we train the right people and they are properly licensed, they will mine responsibly, produce finished products and significantly reduce insecurity associated with illegal mining,” he said.
One of the beneficiaries, Chubiojo Faith Omachi from Ofu Local Government Area, described the programme as a life-changing opportunity, promising that participants would maximise the investment made in them.
“We are grateful for this huge investment in our future. We will put the knowledge to productive use and also train others within our communities so that the benefits will spread across the state,” she said.