Why Nigeria’s Economic Downturn Didn’t Cripple Bayelsa- Diri

Bayelsa State governor, Senator Douye Diri, has said that he was able to embark on projects and make life worth a living in his state despite economic challenges faced across the country because of his resolve to prudently manage the resources that accrue to the state.

He has also said that he would not deviate from that path in 2025, because the people deserve to have the best from the government they freely elected to lead them.

This was contained in his New Year message to the people of Bayelsa. In it, he also urged Nayelsans and all Ijaws in The Diaspora to consider coming to the state to invest, as the business climate had since been made very conducive.

He said: “As we begin a new year, I am filled with a sense of hope and optimism, eager to build on the progress we have made and to work assiduously towards a better, brighter, and greater future for our great state.

“I extend a warm invitation to our Ijaw brothers and sisters in the Diaspora to redirect their focus towards their ancestral homeland. I am pleased to assert that our state boasts the most secure and welcoming environment for professionals and entrepreneurs to thrive, as well as for individuals to relax and unwind, setting us apart as a haven among other states in the country. We eagerly anticipate the opportunities to collaborate with our brethren to unlock the vast potential that our state has to offer.”

The governor admitted that the past year was fraught with challenges, particularly  in the country’s economic landscape and the depreciation in the currency’s exchange rate that impacted all sectors of society.

“Because we have been prudent in spending our state’s resources, and prioritising expenditure to fulfill our mandate of shared prosperity, we have achieved significant progress on our legacy projects, including key infrastructure initiatives to unlock the treasures of the Atlantic Ocean and harness the potential of the Blue Economy.”

Diri stressed that considerable strides had been made to give enduring facelift to the state capital with the construction and rehabilitation of access roads as well as several internal roads, which had improved connectivity and accessibility.

Henoted that in line with his administration’s rebranded Assured Prosperity Agenda, government was taking on additional signature projects across various sectors as it looked forward to  launching “The Prosperity Estates.”

According to him, “the project is a groundbreaking housing scheme that will bring 1000 affordable homes to our state capital and local government areas. This initiative is a major milestone in our mission to make housing more accessible and affordable for all citizens.”

On power, Diri explained that government was working towards ensuring sustainable and independent power supply with the procurement and eventual installation of a 60-megawatt gas turbine during the course of this year.

He thanked the people for their patience during the four months of power outage in the state. He also said the security sector remained a top priority for his administration and that concrete steps were being taken to strengthen the state’s position as one of the safest and most secure states in Nigeria.