The moribund Ajaokuta Steel Complex, Kogi State, again became a campaign tool on Sunday when President Bola Ahmed Tinubu pledged the abandoned project, which he said was nearing completion, would employ 500,000 Nigerians upon completion and declared a free trade zone.
The president, who pledged the flag-off of campaigns by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for the November 11 governorship election in Kogi State, further promised to fully harness the potential of the complex once it was completed, as it would boost Nigeria’s foreign direct investment and provide an avenue for the creation of the much-needed conducive business environment for all sectors to thrive.
The Vice President, Kashim Shettima, who represented the president during the campaign flag-off in Lokoja, the state capital, also noted that President Tinubu remained committed to completing the constructions of the River Niger, the Kabba-Lokoja and the Abuja-Lokoja roads.
According to him, Tinubu is a man of plenty of ideas who is determined to reposition the nation in its rightful place, especially as it borders on restructuring and stimulating the Nigerian economy.
“Given Mr President’s commitment to the development of Kogi State and indeed the entirety of Nigeria, Kogi in particular being a confluence state, cannot afford to have a governor who is hostile to the centre. We must be partners in progress and work hand in hand to develop this great nation, ”Shettima said.
According to him, the natural endowments of Kogi State would be harnessed for the development of the state and the nation at large, adding that President Tinubu had further given his nod for the rehabilitation of Obajana-Okene road in Kogi State.