Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang
By CHRISTIANA LOT, Jos –
Governor Caleb Mutfwang has inaugurated the Plateau State Economic Advisory Council, charging the newly constituted body to help reposition the state’s economy by transforming its natural and human endowments into wealth-generating opportunities.
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, Mutfwang emphasized that Plateau must rise above its current ranking on Nigeria’s poverty index. The governor noted that while addressing insecurity remains a critical and ongoing responsibility of his administration, the next major challenge is economic development.
He stated: “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 simply 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.
Earlier in the day, the governor swore in five newly appointed permanent secretaries during a brief ceremony 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.
Later, Governor Mutfwang received the Czech Republic Ambassador to Nigeria, Zdeněk Krejčí, on a courtesy visit at the Government House in Rayfield.
The envoy expressed his country’s interest in supporting Plateau in areas such as technical education, agriculture, and mining, and commended the state’s potential for investment and international cooperation.
