Governor Mohammed Yahaya has unveiled the Gombe State 10-Year Development Plan (2021-2030), describing the Development Agenda for Gombe State (DEVAGOM) as his attempt to harness the state’s immense potential.
At the at the official unveiling on Tuesday, the governor said he was poised to take advantage of emerging opportunities and the ensuing challenges to attain development objectives.
“It is the road map for the transformation of Gombe that is aligned with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as set by the United Nations,” he said, adding that his administration was committed to planning and implementing people-oriented policies and programmes, through a bottom-up stakeholder consultation process to develop a people-oriented plan.
He noted: “Considering our comparative advantage in agriculture, commerce and trade, our tremendous human and natural resources, and our strategic position at the centre of the North East region, I have the conviction that our vision is both realistic and achievable.”
Yahaya restated his government’s commitment to human capital development through infrastructure, agriculture and health resuscitation, improved education and rural development.
“So far, our government has placed high priority on human capital development as the catalyst of growth with special focus on education, health and youth development. Our agricultural transformation drive is aimed at harnessing our vast irrigation potential along our major dams; rural infrastructure projects that connect and open up our rural communities; social and environmental policies that create jobs, protect our environment and promote peaceful coexistence amongst our people,” he added.
Earlier, the chairman of the Steering committee for the development plan, Dr. Manasseh Jatau, and the chairman, technical committee of the plan, Dr. Ishaku Mohammed, both agreed that the plan became necessary in view of the governor’s burning desire to reposition the state into an economic powerhouse.
UN Resident Coordinator, Edward Kallon, and heads of other UN agencies, promised to support the quantum leap of the Yahaya administration.
The unveiling equally had the Minister of Environment, Dr. Mahmood Mohammed; Sarkin Fulanin Gombe, Alhaji Umaru Kwairanga; and others delivering their goodwill messages virtually.
