Unlike some leaders well noted for flippant adventures abroad, who oftentimes leave behind traces of profligacy, Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya chooses his trips abroad very wisely.
One could safely say that Inuwa Yahaya is a trailblazer in serious mindedness, especially in governance and development.
His recent partnership drive mission to the Kingdom of Morocco is another watershed in his pursuit of the Greater Gombe Agenda which he initiated in his first term in office.
In his bid to making Gombe State one of the most economically viable and self sustaining states in Nigeria, despite receiving one of the lowest allocations from the federation account, he came up with a 10 -Year Development Plan aptly tagged DEVAGOM – an unprecedented move in the the history of Gombe state. DEVAGOM is designed for full multi sectorial development of Gombe State.It is a blueprint on which development projects are anchored with a clear road map for continuity by successive administrations.
Governor Inuwa Yahaya followed DEVAGOM up immediately in 2022 with the first ever investment summit in the state christened GoInvest.The summit yielded tremendous inflow of investors into the most peaceful state in Nothern Nigeria.
Since GoInvest, Governor Inuwa Yahaya has not rested on his oars, he has partnered with many other development agencies like African Development Bank, the Bank of Industry and Nigeria Exchange Limited, etc attracting billions of Naira in investment funds and anticipated revenue into Gombe State.
The trip to Morocco is seen by experts as an expansion of the investment frontiers of the State that is unarguably the best investment destination in Nigeria at the moment, having won the Best State in the Ease of Doing Business Award back to back in year 2022 & 2023 respectively.
What then are the gains and lessons for Gombe and perhaps others, from the mission to Morocco?
While in Morocco, strategic and specific sectors like Agribusiness, Animal Husbandry, Trade, Education, Local Government Administration clearly took centre stage of proceedings and discussions.
The high-level delegation, led by the Governor, had a clear mandate; to present and position Gombe as a prime destination for investment, seek from Morocco, a medium and long term partnerships that will help creat job opportunities, and consequently enhance the overall economic prosperity of the people of the state.
Before leaving Nigeria for Morroco the Governor had held discussions with the Moroccan Ambassador to Nigeria, H. E Moha Ou Ali Tagma in Abuja, and mapped out areas of potential cooperation and mutual partnerships between the Kingdom of Morocco and Gombe State. The envoy pledged to facilitate connections between Moroccan entrepreneurs and relevant stakeholders in Gombe State to explore investment opportunities and areas of mutual cooperation.
While in Morocco there had been many positive engagements by the delegates – a spot on compass for the Greater Gombe Agenda initiated by Inuwa Yahaya in his first term in office.
Governor Inuwa visited Charge de Affairs and Acting Nigerian Ambassador to Morocco, Adamu Salihu Zanwa where he first sought the support of the Nigerian authorities in Rabat in facilitating Gombe’s business drive in the country.
The expedition to Morocco, according to Governor Inuwa Yahaya, is part of his broader initiative to open up Gombe State to international investments and enhance its economic landscape which is in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda to diversify Nigeria’s economy and create sustainable development through foreign partnerships.
Already, Gombe is gaining from this investment mission.
While in Morocco, Gombe State Government secured the technical expertise and resources of the Moroccan National Agency for the Development of Aquaculture (ANDA) to fully harness the potential of its water bodies in order to create job opportunities and stimulate economic growth.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), to ensure effective collaboration in the aquaculture sector will soon be signed with ANDA.Key water bodies such as Dadin Kowa Dam, Balanga Dam and Cham Dam which are ideal sites for fish farming will begin to benefit immensely from this smart initiative.
With this MOU in the offing, fisheries will thrive in Gombe and extend even beyond.
As part of efforts to develop fish farming, the State intends to establish several fish farms across Dadin Kowa, Balanga and Cham Dams. These facilities will utilize modern aquaculture techniques to enhance fish production and meet the growing demand for fish, targeting not only the states in the Northeast, but other West African countries neighbouring the Northeast such as Cameroun, Chad and Niger Republics.
We would support the local fishermen through training programmes, provision of fishing equipment and financial assistance. This support will enable fishermen to adopt best practices and increase their productivity”, the Governor reportedly said.
The Governor proposed an exchange programme to facilitate skill development and knowledge transfer between Moroccan experts and fish farmers in Gombe state. He also expressed interest in collaborative research projects involving Gombe State University (GSU) and other relevant institutions in Morocco to explore innovative aquaculture techniques adaptable to the local context in Gombe, hopping that this partnership will improve the sector in the state.
The local government sector also benefitted.
Gombe State has been a fulcrum of reforms in the public service sector in Nigeria especially with the administration of Governor Inuwa Yahaya. He introduced biometric capture for civil servants thereby cutting down huge financial drain occasioned by the ghost worker syndrome. He wanted more reform may especially from the grassroots level which the local government symbolizes.
The delegates engaged with critical stakeholders and secured strategic partnerships to boost Gombe State’s investment capacity and improve governance standards to address local challenges.
The delegation visited the headquarters of the United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG Africa) in Rabat, Morocco. During the landmark visit, Governor Inuwa Yahaya emphasized his administration’s commitment to empowering local governments as a cornerstone of his developmental agenda, saying that the success of his programmes hinges on the robust functioning of local administrations, the closest tier of government to the people.
“In Gombe State, we recognize that local governments are pivotal in delivering essential services and promoting grassroots development. Since 2019 when we took over, my administration has been resolute in ensuring that the local governments operate with the autonomy required to address local needs effectively. This partnership with UCLG Africa marks a significant step towards actualizing our vision of progressive, responsive, and accountable local governance,” Governor Inuwa reportedly stated.
Gombe State also indicated readiness to pilot the African Territorial Investment Agency (ATIA), a concept initiated by UCLG Africa. This initiative, in partnership with the African Development Bank (AfDB), is aimed at enhancing the capacity of African cities and subnational governments through bond issuance in the financial market. The objective is to prepare these entities to access up to €4 million in financing for critical infrastructure projects.
Governor Inuwa Yahaya expressed the state’s intention to access a part of the grant under the African Capital of Quantum programme by UCLG Africa. This grant, earmarked for critical infrastructure projects, comes with substantial technical support and capacity-building initiatives designed to bolster local government administration.
The Secretary-General of UCLG Africa, Jean-Pierre Elong Mbassi, praised the proactive approach of the Gombe State delegation. He believed it was the beginning of a partnership that will yield significant benefits for the people of Gombe and Nigeria in general.
Educational partnership was also part of the deals signed.The delegates secured partnership with British Education Group, proprietors of Coventry University Morocco for students exchange programme and affordable education.
The MoU is in a bid to propel Gombe State’s tertiary education sector to new heights and offer students greater opportunities and access to high-quality education.Governor Inuwa Yahaya established partnership with the authorities of British Education Group, proprietors of the Coventry University, Bouskoura, Morocco.
Founded in 2001, Coventry University is noted to have been delivering world-class British education, and awarding Bachelor’s, Master’s, and MBA degrees through its affiliation with Cardiff Metropolitan University.
The aim of seeking collaborations with great universities like Coventry University, is to provide Gombe students with unparalleled opportunities and access to high-quality education. It is believed that such partnerships are vital for equipping students with the skills and knowledge necessary to thrive in a globalized world, which will ultimately foster a brighter future for the entire state as education is the bedrock of development.
In addition to the deals signed on development of fisheries, the agricultural sector also secured a partnership with the Moroccan Agency for International Cooperation (AMCI) to unlock new opportunities in the sector.
Partnership with AMCI will be instrumental in addressing some of Gombe’s pressing challenges in the food security agenda.
AMCI is ready to facilitate grants and support initiatives that align with Gombe State’s development goals, It also promised to foster connections between Gombe State and AMCI’s network of partners to enhance the potential for impactful collaboration
The highly meaningful business mission also met and had partnership talks with Morocco’s COPAG Bladna on modern dairy and agro-industrial projects.This effort is in a bid to unlocking the full potential of Gombe State’s livestock resources to pave the way for a more profitable dairy business ventures and thriving agricultural economy.
The largest dairy factory in Taroudant, Agadir, Morocco was visited.
The Governor expressed his government’s desire to facilitate setting up a similar venture even on a smaller scale through a public-private partnership (PPP) arrangement involving the Gombe, COPAG, and private sector investors in Gombe.
The Wawa-Zange grazing reserve in Gombe State holds immense potential for milk collection and processing, The Grazing Reserve can now introduce sustainably produced dairy products such as flavoured milk, butter, cheese, and yogurt, modeled after COPAG’s successful approach. This will be a watershed indeed for Gombe State.
Equally, the initiative, no doubt will help generate numerous direct and indirect job opportunities, significantly contributing to the state’s economic growth and modernization of the livestock sector.
Another landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with also signed OCP Africa, a subsidiary of the OCP Group, Morocco.
This is an addendum to many agreements already signed. It is seen by agric experts as a strategic move towards enhancing agricultural productivity, sustainability, and economic growth in the state.
The MoU which was signed during a ceremony at the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University ( UM6P), located in the Green City of Benguerir, was signed by Gombe State Commissioner for Agriculture and Animal Husbandry.
The Governor is optimistic that this deal holds the potential to deliver substantial benefits to smallholder farmers and the broader agricultural community in Gombe State.
The partnership between Gombe State and OCP Africa covers a comprehensive development project addressing productivity and sustainability challenges across the entire agricultural value chain.
The collaboration will encompass a range of activities, including, supporting small-scale farmers to have access to necessary resources; recruiting and training of Youth as Agricultural Extension Agents to support agricultural development, providing fertilizers, seeds, and agrochemicals to enhance farm productivity, facilitating access to credit to support participating farmers.
It also includes annual establishment of five Farm & Fortune Hubs in rural communities with high agricultural potential to address challenges in farm input availability and accessibility, providing a comprehensive solution under one roof, as well as the implementation of More Food Initiative ( MFI) project in selected secondary schools in Gombe State to foster agricultural education among students.
Governor Inuwa Yahaya’s investment mission to Morocco,is yet an icing on the cake for the GoInvest 2.0 which is expected to take place in Gombe State before the end of 2024.
Under Governor Inuwa Yahaya,Gombe State has been largely peaceful with an enigmatic conviviality that has calmed the minds of investors both at local and international levels.
In just five years, exemplary, pragmatic and broad-minded leadership that has catapulted Gombe State from near obscurity in influence and relevance to the epicenter of affluence among the commonwealth of States in Nigeria.
