By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja
Leaders and stakeholders from Yagbaland have raised alarm over the worsening condition of Federal roads and growing insecurity in Kogi West, calling on the Federal Government for immediate intervention.
The call was made during the 2025 “Unity Summit” of Apapo Omo Yagba (AOY), a socio-cultural organisation comprising Yagba East, Yagba West, and Mopa-Muro LGAs. The Summit, held at the Community Town Hall, Mopa, issued a communique jointly signed by Engr. Ayodele Osasona and Hon. Prince Philip Orebiyi, Chairman and Secretary of the Organizing Committee.
The communique stressed that the near-total absence of federal infrastructure, especially the terrible state of major roads linking Yagbaland, was no longer acceptable. It urged influential sons and daughters of the land to engage relevant federal agencies to fast-track road rehabilitation efforts, warning that the region’s economic fortunes would suffer without urgent attention.
Beyond roads, the Summit also flagged deteriorating security, which it linked to unchecked mining activities and other emerging threats. It called on Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo to ensure that local councils receive adequate funding to tackle insecurity and encouraged royal fathers to actively liaise with the government on community protection.
“The need for security reinforcement is now imminent,” the communique said, advocating collaboration between local hunters and formal security agencies to safeguard the area.
The AOY further pressed for stronger Federal Government presence through the establishment of universities, polytechnics, and federal agencies within Yagbaland. They urged the Federal Government to provide federal employment opportunities for Yagba youths, as a means of tackling unemployment and boosting regional development.
Highlighting infrastructure as critical to progress, the Summit emphasized the urgent need for investments in quality education, healthcare, road networks, and stable power supply.
In a proactive move, the Summit resolved to set up a lobby committee tasked with mobilizing Yagba’s influential figures in public and private sectors to drive development initiatives and create employment opportunities for the youth.
It also appealed to royal fathers to encourage investment at home, lamenting that despite the abundance of billionaires from Yagba, few have invested in the land’s vast economic opportunities, especially in the solid minerals sector.
Finally, the Summit called for unity, regular town hall engagements with political representatives, and periodic special prayer sessions to promote peace and development in Yagbaland.
