… as state eyes $750m ease of doing business fund
The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki has said the state is blessed with arable land, a good transit network and a talented youth population, which positions it as one of the best states for investment by American companies seeking to invest in the country.
The governor made the submission during an investment summit in Abuja hosted by the American Business Council (ABC) in collaboration with the Edo State Investment Promotion Office (ESIPO) with support from the Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH) and SVC.
The summit, which was moderated by Partner and Chief Economist, PwC Nigeria, Andrew Nevin, had in attendance ambassadors and representatives of multilateral institutions, including the World Bank, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Food Foundation, Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), Nigerian Investment Promotion Council (NIPC), the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and Forecore Technologies, among others.
Obaseki, who pitched investment opportunities in the state to businesses, highlighted the advantages of Edo State as a premier location with arable land, a good transit network, and an enabling business environment for investors.
He said the state has recorded progress in the agricultural sector, with a focus on the Edo State Oil Palm Programme (ESOPP) which now has eight participants investing over $500m, noting, “The Edo Technology Park is a project to engage more young people to develop software engineering skills and explore the opportunity to work and earn a living after the programme.”
According to him, “With the healthcare reforms and the Edo Basic Education Sector Transformation (EdoBEST) Programme, the state government is scaling the talents of young people by equipping them with the right skill set.”
On her part, Special Adviser to the President on Ease of Doing Business, Jumoke Oduwole, said $750 million is being made available to enhance ease of doing business in all states across the country under a new initiative called the State Action on Business Enabling Reforms (SABER), adding that “Edo State has been in the forefront with the Governor Godwin Obaseki picked as one of the champions.”
The UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, Peter Hawkins, said with the rollout of opportunities in Edo State, the government is investing in the future of Nigeria.
He further commended Governor Obaseki for the work he is doing with young people in the state, adding, “The EdoBEST programmme is now used as an example in other states in the country.”