By joshua INGRA Renews Call for Urgent Investment in Mass Transportation, Water Supply and Sanitation Across Kogi State
Lokoja, Kogi State |
The Initiative for Grassroot Advancement in Nigeria (INGRA) once again calls on the Kogi State Government to treat affordable mass transportation, reliable public water supply and environmental sanitation as urgent priorities requiring clear timelines, adequate funding and visible results.
These are not luxury projects. They are basic services that determine how citizens experience government every day. Workers need affordable transport to reach their offices. Traders and students need safe and dependable mobility. Families need clean water without depending on expensive vendors. Residents deserve communities free from uncontrolled refuse, blocked drainage, open defecation and preventable environmental health risks.
The administration of Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo has repeatedly committed itself to implementing the Kogi State Development Plan 20242056. The 32-year plan places infrastructure and essential services within its resilience and long-term development agenda. The government has also stated that the plan should move from paper to reality through coordinated implementation across sectors.
INGRA therefore believes that the implementation of the Development Plan must become visible in the daily lives of citizens. A development plan cannot be judged only by conferences, policy documents and announcements. It must be measured by whether water flows, buses are available, roads are accessible, refuse is collected and communities are clean and healthy.
The State Has Received Significant Resources
According to the Kogi State Governments 2026 Second Quarter Budget Implementation Report, the State recorded ₦141.42 billion in recurrent revenue—comprising its share of Federation Account Allocation Committee receipts and internally generated revenue—and ₦117.52 billion in capital receipts by the end of June 2026. Together, these amount to approximately ₦258.94 billion received between January and June 2026.
INGRA acknowledges that capital receipts include loans, grants and other receipts that may be tied to specific programmes and should not all be treated as unrestricted cash. Nevertheless, the scale of resources reported by the government creates a legitimate public expectation that basic services will receive visible and sustained attention.
The same report shows cumulative capital expenditure of about ₦121.61 billion by the end of June. Citizens therefore deserve clear information on the projects funded, their locations, implementation status and the measurable benefits delivered.
Lokoja Needs a Functional Mass-Transit System
The growing cost of transportation is placing enormous pressure on workers, students, traders, low-income families and persons living in communities outside the centre of Lokoja.
INGRA calls for the establishment of a properly managed and subsidised Kogi Mass Transit Scheme, beginning with Lokoja and gradually extending to major routes across the three senatorial districts. This should not be limited to acquiring buses for ceremonial unveiling. It must include:
transparent procurement and management arrangements;
published routes, fares and operating schedules;
dedicated services for workers and students;
accessible vehicles and designated stops;
routes connecting Lokoja with surrounding settlements; and
an accountable maintenance and revenue-management system.
The planned Federal Bus Terminal in Lokoja is a positive infrastructure development, but a terminal cannot replace the daily need for affordable buses that move residents within the metropolis and between local government areas.
Permanent Water Supply Must Replace Emergency Measures
INGRA appreciates previous government interventions, including the provision of free water tankers as a temporary measure while efforts were made to restore the Old Lokoja Water Works and the Greater Lokoja Water Works. However, tanker supply cannot remain the answer to a structural water crisis.
The State Government should publish a clear public update stating:
the present condition of the Greater Lokoja and Old Lokoja Water Works;
the funds released and expended on rehabilitation;
the remaining technical and financial challenges;
communities currently receiving water;
the expected restoration date; and
the long-term plan for water production, distribution and maintenance.
Government should also develop reliable water schemes for other urban and rural communities. Boreholes are useful, but they should complement rather than replace sustainable public water systems.
Lokojas Sanitation Requires Emergency Attention
As the state capital and gateway to several parts of Nigeria, Lokoja should reflect the image and development ambitions of Kogi State. The continuing presence of refuse heaps, blocked drainage channels, inadequate public toilets and irregular waste collection does not support the governments rebranding and investment objectives.
INGRA calls for an emergency sanitation and waste-management programme covering Lokoja and other major towns. The programme should provide:
regular door-to-door and community refuse collection;
waste receptacles at strategic locations;
evacuation of existing refuse dumps;
routine drainage clearance before and during the rainy season;
public toilets in markets, parks and busy commercial areas;
clearly designated waste-disposal and recycling locations;
enforceable service standards for waste contractors; and
a monthly public sanitation performance report.
Sanitation enforcement must be fair and should begin with government providing the necessary infrastructure. Citizens should not be punished for failing to use waste facilities that do not exist or are inaccessible.
Service Delivery Is the Strongest Political Message
Political groups and supporters have already begun publicly mobilising for Governor Ododos re-election in 2027. INGRA remains a non-partisan civil society organisation and does not campaign for political candidates. However, every government seeking a renewed mandate must understand that electoral acceptance is best secured through visible improvements in the lives of citizens.
The strongest campaign message will not be billboards, endorsements or political rallies. It will be affordable transportation, reliable water, clean communities, functioning hospitals, quality education and accountable public institutions.
Citizens will remember whether they could travel to work at a reasonable cost, whether water flowed in their homes and whether their communities were kept clean. These practical experiences will shape public confidence more than slogans.
Our Call to the Government
INGRA therefore calls on Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo to:
establish a time-bound inter-ministerial response on transport, water and sanitation;
allocate and release adequate resources for these essential services;
publish implementation plans, budgets, contractors and delivery timelines;
engage communities and civil society organisations in project planning and monitoring;
present quarterly public progress reports aligned with the 32-year Development Plan; and
ensure that interventions reach communities across Kogi East, Kogi Central and Kogi West.
The resources available to government must produce services that citizens can see, use and assess. Delivering these services will strengthen public trust, demonstrate that the 32-year Development Plan is being implemented and provide the most credible foundation for any request for electoral continuity in 2027.
Signed:
Hamza Aliyu
Executive Director