By Aichienede Akhabue Goodluck and Ogbebor Tony Ikponmwonsa
The Edo State Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, has reaffirmed his administration’s resolve towards promoting investment opportunities by providing a conducive business environment that will guarantee meaningful and strategic investment in the State through the Public Private Partnership (PPP) investment model.
Obaseki made the reaffirmation while speaking at the 2022 Alaghodaro Edo Summit, tagged: ‘Edo’s Transformation: Partnerships, Resilience, Impacts’, which was held at the New Festival Hall, Government House, Benin City, on Friday.
Highlighting the giant strides his administration has made in various sectors of the State, he noted that the State is blessed with abundant human and natural resources which when properly harnessed will lead to the economic prosperity of the State and nation at large.
In his words, “Despite the challenges facing us as a nation, we have over 200 and more million people in Nigeria, these people are not going to die, they are not going to go away, they will continue to live here, and they will not stop consuming. Therefore, if this is our reality it means that we cannot and should not be despondent.
“God has given us something that he has not given to many countries and many people in the world. We have a huge domestic market, this 200 and more million people have to eat and consume. If we cannot import, are we going to die?
“We will have to create the things we consume in this country. That is why the Government must now rely on those people that will produce the things that we consume”.
He noted that his administration has made remarkable improvements in the collection and management of the Internally Generated Revenue of the State, with the reforms in the Edo Internal Revenue Service (EIRS)) and assured that the State is targeting a revenue of over N60 billion next year.
Obaseki emphasized that the future of Edo State is on the path of progressive growth and development, adding: “We see growth ahead of us; this growth is going to come from certain endowments which we have, and which most people do not have. Our culture: people must come and see us and what our forebears built.
“Our forestry asset; the world is talking about net zero carbon, and we have something to contribute to the environment and the environmental economy.”
He explained that Edo has unique manufacturing opportunities as the State prides itself on the largest onshore gas reserve in Nigeria.
This development he said when fully harnessed will be able to generate electricity that will drive industrialization in the State.
Mr Obaseki further reiterated the significance of agriculture to the economy, stating that Edo State is blessed with arable lands that will engender food security.
On advancement in technology, he maintained that the world has now become a global village. “For us, the future is technology because the world is about technology and that is an area of focus.”
He stressed that his administration has invested and leveraged technology in driving governance and employment generation with the establishment of the Edo Technology Park, Edo Innovate, and Edo Production hub, amongst others.
He noted that the Edo Civil and Public Service are now technology-driven.
Dignitaries at the event include the Benin Monarch, His Royal Majesty, Omo N’ Oba N’ Edo, Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare II, the First Lady, Mrs Betsy Obaseki, Edo State Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon. Comrade Philip Shaibu; Secretary to Edo State Government, Osarodion Ogie Esq.; Speaker, Edo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Marcus Onobun; Chief of Staff to the Governor, Hon. Osaigbovo Iyoha; Commissioner for Culture, Tourism and Diaspora Affairs, Hon. Olaitan Bamidele, and Chief Imam of Benin, Alhaji Fatai Enabulele, among others.
