Mutfwang Inaugurates Economic Advisory Council to Drive Prosperity Agenda
From Tongnaan Bawa, Jos
Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang has inaugurated the State Economic Advisory Council, to help reposition the state’s economy to transform its natural and human endowments into wealth-generating opportunities in the State
The governor described the council as a strategic think-tank that will offer the government expert guidance on policy, planning, and investment direction.
Speaking during the ceremony, at the Twin theater hall, government house Rayfield Jos, Mutfwang emphasized that Plateau must rise above its current ranking on Nigeria’s poverty index.
He explained that while addressing the issue of insecurity remained a critical and an ongoing responsibility of his administration, the next major challenge he added is economic development.
“I firmly believe that Plateau State should not be ranked among the poorest states in Nigeria. Unfortunately, we are somewhere down that pecking order in the poverty index, and it’s simple because we haven’t harvested our opportunities.
“After dealing with security which is a continuous assignment the next challenge is our prosperity.”
He also cited examples of untapped agricultural potential, including vast grazing lands previously under bandit occupation, which the government is reclaiming for productive use under the National Livestock transformation Plan.
According to Mutfwang, the private sector will be at the center of his administration’s economic strategy.
“There’s nowhere in Nigeria where you can raise livestock better than on the Plateau. We must shift the paradigm and begin to do things differently.
“Our approach to business is PPP let the private sector drive it. They do it better than we civil servants,” he said.
He expressed confidence that the council’s recommendations will help Plateau emerge as a major economic player in northern Nigeria. “The economic prosperity of Plateau people now rests on your shoulders,” he told the members.
The governor had earlier sworn in five newly appointed permanent secretaries at the Victoria Gowon Auditorium. He praised the merit-based selection process and urged the appointees to be firm, fair, and professional in discharging their duties.
In another development Governor Mutfwang received the Ambassador Czech Republic to Nigeria, Zdeněk Krejčí, on a courtesy visit at the Government House in Rayfield.
The envoy however expressed it’s country’s interest in supporting Plateau in important areas such as technical education, agriculture, and mining, and commended the state’s potential for investment and international cooperation.
