Ododo Drives Rural Growth With Roads, Health Facility Upgrades in Kogi »

Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to transforming rural communities in Kogi State through massive investment in road infrastructure and primary healthcare facilities.

The governor’s pledge was stressed on Monday during a statewide media tour of ongoing projects across the three senatorial districts. The tour began in Mopamuro and Kabba-Bunu Local Government Areas, where journalists inspected rural roads, healthcare centres, educational projects, and erosion control works.

Speaking at Mopamuro, the Commissioner for Works, Engr. Muhammed Yusuf, disclosed that Governor Ododo directed the Kogi State Road Maintenance Agency (KOGROMA) to construct at least 10 kilometres of road in every local government area. He noted that Mopamuro LGA has already completed six kilometres, including the 1.2km Ileteju Mopa road, abandoned for nearly three decades but now fully rehabilitated with durable triple-layer construction and drainage.

“This policy shows the governor’s determination to open up rural communities, boost economic activities, and connect people who were previously cut off due to bad roads,” Yusuf stated.

For residents like Mr. Daniel Tope, the intervention is life-changing. He explained that the reconstructed Ileteju road links three communities that had long suffered isolation. “This road was awarded in 2012 but never built. Today, Governor Ododo has remembered Mopamuro,” he said.

The tour also showcased the administration’s drive to strengthen healthcare delivery at the grassroots. According to the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Hon. Kingsley Fanwo, 256 primary healthcare facilities are currently being remodeled across the state’s 239 wards. Facilities inspected included the rehabilitated and upgraded Ileteju-Mopa Primary Healthcare Centre and the newly constructed healthcare centre at Ayegunle-Igun, Kabba-Bunu amongst others.

Fanwo stressed that while the previous administration focused on secondary and tertiary healthcare, Governor Ododo has deliberately shifted attention to primary health centres in rural areas where the needs are greatest.

“Before now, patients risked leaving these facilities worse off than when they arrived. But today, the story is different. This initiative will reduce maternal mortality rates and improve access to quality care in all 21 LGAs,” Fanwo said.

Beyond roads and healthcare, the Ododo administration is also investing in rural education and environmental projects. At Kogi State University, Kabba, the governor is consolidating on the legacy of his predecessor with new hostels, faculty buildings, and renovations. Similarly, the GYB Model Science Secondary School at Okebukun, Kabba-Bunu, is nearing completion, while the Kabba gully erosion reclamation project has restored lands once lost to flooding.

Residents and community leaders have expressed gratitude for the interventions, describing them as clear evidence of the administration’s resolve to deliver dividends of democracy to rural dwellers.

Governor Ododo has consistently maintained that the focus of his administration is to take development to the grassroots, ensuring that rural people not only feel but also benefit directly from government policies.