OPEN LETTER TO KEBBI ELDERS FORUM

BEYOND THE ECONOMY SUMMIT: An Open Letter to the Kebbi State Elders Consultative Forum

To the Esteemed and Patriotic Members of the Kebbi State Elders Consultative Forum,

Kebbi-Trust Online Newspaper extends its heartfelt gratitude to you for organizing the first-ever Kebbi State Economic Summit. Your noble initiative to bring together stakeholders to deliberate on our state’s economic development and identify new opportunities for growth is truly commendable. May Almighty Allah reward you abundantly for your foresight and commitment to the progress of our dear state.

Although we were unable to contribute live during the two-day event, we are resolved to use this medium to offer five (5) constructive suggestions for your kind consideration:

1. Expansion of Responsibilities to Include Peace Initiatives

Kebbi-Trust respectfully appeals to the Kebbi State Elders Consultative Forum to consider expanding its mandate to include peace initiatives among political aspirants in the state—similar to the National Peace Committee chaired by General Abdulsalami Abubakar, former Head of State.

Your direct involvement in promoting peace will go a long way in fostering mutual respect and harmony among political actors, thereby reducing tensions and electoral conflicts.

We recommend that, at least one month before elections, the Forum should convene all political office aspirants—particularly gubernatorial candidates—to sign a peace accord committing themselves and their supporters to peaceful conduct before, during, and after elections.

This initiative will help shape political culture in Kebbi State and encourage peaceful engagement at all levels, including the grassroots.

2. Focused and Thematic Summits

The maiden summit impressively covered ten (10) sectors, leaving participants with an enormous volume of ideas and discussions. However, we suggest that future summits focus on one key sector at a time to allow for deeper analysis and actionable outcomes.

For example:

A Summit on Agriculture could comprehensively address crop cultivation, processing, livestock, poultry, and related value chains.

Similar sector-specific summits could then follow on Education, Health, Security, etc.

This approach will ensure that each sector receives thorough attention and measurable progress can be tracked.

3. Inclusion of Relevant Standing MDAs

We further recommend that future summits actively involve relevant government Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).

For instance, an Economic Summit should have key participation from:

Kebbi State Investment Promotion Agency (K-SIPA)

Ministry of Commerce

Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning

Their participation will enhance synergy between policy formulation, implementation, and stakeholder contributions.

4. Establishment of a Digital Archive

We advise the Forum to establish a dedicated website or online archive to document all proceedings, communiqués, and outcomes from this maiden summit and future activities.

Such a platform will serve as a public knowledge resource, allowing individuals anywhere in the world to access comprehensive information about Kebbi State’s progress and development initiatives.

Kebbi-Trust is ready to assist in developing and managing such a platform if this advice is considered useful.

5. Pursuing Investment Opportunities

Kebbi-Trust has come across an investor from Pakistan who has expressed interest in establishing three industries in Kebbi State:

A Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Plant

A Milk Processing Company

A Steel Rolling Mill Industry

We strongly advise that this opportunity be explored and pursued to its logical conclusion for the benefit of Kebbi State’s industrial and economic advancement.

Once again, we commend the Kebbi State Elders Consultative Forum for this historic and visionary initiative. The summit’s outcomes will undoubtedly shape the future of Kebbi’s economic development.

We look forward to the continued implementation of the summit recommendations and stronger collaboration among all stakeholders to ensure a prosperous future for our beloved state.

With highest regards,

Ahmed Umar 

Publisher,Kebbi-Trust Online Newspaper

07038182929

ahmadugamji@gmail.com