Plateau State Government to Leverage on Technology in improving the Security of the state, to Build a Non-Oil dependent Plateau Economy through Agriculture -Tourism – Mining

The Plateau State Government has said that in no distant time, the state will deploy more technology in the gradually improving security situation in the State. The technological improvements according to the Plateau State Government will help facilitate a round-the-clock surveillance of the entire state.

This was disclosed by the Executive Governor of Plateau State, Barrister Caleb Mannaseh Mutfwang during a Media chat with Media Practitioners in the state at Government House Little Rayfield on Saturday 31st May 2024 as part of activities to mark his One Year anniversary in office.

According to Governor Mutfwang, this innovative approach is part of strategies to sustain the gradually improving security situation in the state. In addition to technology, the governor said that his administration is working with hunters and other local security stakeholders in the to support the federal security agents tackling the challenge in the stage. He added that his administration is also working hard to raise the patriotism of federal troops on ground to see themselves as duty-bound to protect the citizens of Plateau State.

The Governor added that in strengthening security, poverty and hunger must also be arrested, and his administration has decided to build a Plateau Economy that is sustainable beyond Oil Revenue. The Governor announced that efforts aimed at improving the state’s Internally Generated Revenue is begging to yield positive, with the monthly IGR of state hiting the N2 Billion mark from the N800 Million ceiling inherited. He additionally informed that his administration has identified some critical economic driver; agriculture, tourism and mining.

Focus on agriculture without downplaying tourism and mining, the governor noted that his administration will be cultivating at least 12 thousands hecters of farm lands across the state with international standards in place, with the view to making the farm products exportable.

The state for this purpose, according to the Governor has been divided into three (3) agricultural zone viz – Southern Central and Northern Belts where at 4,000 hecters of farmland will be cultivated in each of the 3 belts. Discussing further, the governor said that in the Southern Belt, his administration will be focusing on local governments that have comparative advantage in the cultivation of Rice, Yam and palm oil production.

In the Central Belt, the Governor noted that his administration will be focusing on boosting the farming of commodities that have cultivative advantage in the zone such as Irish Potato and maize with view to bringing the production of the commodities, particularly Irish Potatoes to internal standards for the purpose of export.

In the Northern Belt, the Governor noted that with the belt’s clement weather and comparative advantage in the production of fruits and vegetables, as well as wheat. The governor also said that his administration will drive the local cultivation and production of coffee and fonio (locally called acha) for export purposes.

The governor also used the opportunity to reel out his achievements in the last despite the litigation that lasted uptill January 12th 2024 when the supreme court affirmed his victory at the 2023 polls. The achivements touched on critical areas such as education and transportation, infrastructure, santitation and urban renewal, women empowerment, civil service reforms etc.