The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has unveiled the Making Edo Great Again (MEGA) vision to the United Nations Country Team (UNCT) in Nigeria, outlining the government’s audacious plan to make Edo State one of the 20 top economies in terms of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Africa by 2050.
The governor, in a presentation titled, ‘The Edo Vision: From Who We Are To Where We Want To Be by 2050’, at the United Nations House, Abuja, noted that the state is harnessing its human and natural resources to place it as a leading destination for investment in Nigeria.
According to the governor, “we envisage an Edo State which will be the fastest in GDP growth in Nigeria, and by 2050, must be top 3 in terms of GDP ranking in Nigeria and top 20 in largest economies on the African continent.”
Obaseki said the state government has undertaken reforms to place Edo at a vantage position to meet a number of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and also attract investment in energy and power, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), agriculture and processing industries, among others, to realise its vision.
He added: “With an estimated population of 10 million residents by 2050, our educational system must be the best in Nigeria and we should boast of one of the best workforce on the continent.
“This will be achieved through rigorous planning in regional and urban planning, which will point to and emphasize what we must do to attain double-digit growth over the next three decades, and socio-economic master plans to complement the physical master plans.
“The government will ensure the sustenance of its massive investment in infrastructure to take advantage of the location of Edo. We must build the Benin River Port to lighten up to 30 percent of the cargo from Tin Can and Apapa Ports.”
“We would also build a rail link to all parts of the country with Edo as a hub; build an international airport, and ensure that Edo is the technology and innovation hub in Nigeria,” Obaseki noted.
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