Focal Person of the Edo State Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Office, Mrs. Eire Ifueko Alufohai, has said the just concluded Alaghodaro 2021 has strengthened the efforts of the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration at ending poverty and achieving sustainable economic growth and development for the state.
Speaking to journalists at the Edo State SDGs office in Benin City, Alufohai said Governor Obaseki remains committed to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals One and Eight, which are ‘No Poverty’ and ‘Decent Work and Economic Growth’ respectively.
The Focal Person said the state government has made tremendous efforts in promoting sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, as well as creating employment opportunities and decent work for its citizens, adding that “Edo State has been able to create the enabling environment for businesses to flourish thereby creating jobs and wealth for youths and women in order to better their lives. This has contributed to ending poverty in the state.”
Noting that the government has undertaken nuanced reforms to achieve economic revolution in the state, she said “it is in the best interest of the citizens of the state to achieve the SDGs in line with global practice to end poverty and achieve decent work and economic growth by 2030.”
Enumerating the indicators which show the efforts and success made in achieving the mentioned Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), she noted that the decision of companies like Nosak Group, Saro Africa Group, among others, to locate in the state, is an indication that the state is doing a lot to create the enabling environment for businesses to flourish.
According to her, “If you listened to Mr. Governor at the Alaghodaro summit, you would have heard him say over 102,000 hectares of land have been allocated for oil palm plantation and production. This is to enable private businesses to invest in the sector, thereby creating more jobs and wealth so as to end poverty in the state, which is in line with goal one in SDGs.
“He also said, in the next five years, Edo will produce a minimum of ten thousand software engineers. All these efforts are to make life better for citizens of the state.”
She continued, “It is important to mention that the International poverty line currently is at $1.90 a day. It is the universal standard for measuring global poverty. This line helps measure the number of people living in extreme poverty and helps compare poverty levels between countries.
“These are some of the things we are trying to deal with and to deal with these issues, we must make an effort to create jobs for all.
“Also understand that economic growth is the economic prosperity of a nation and its people, but for economic prosperity to happen there must be economic productivity. So, people need to do well as individuals and as a society. For that to happen, the people must be productive, they must be creating things to sell and rendering services that people will pay for.”
“That is what the sustainable development goal eight is and Edo State is striving hard to achieve this. The number of ongoing projects in this state right now shows the readiness to create more jobs and wealth to end poverty,” Alufohai added.
