The summit is organised yearly, in partnership with the private sector, to mark the anniversary of Obaseki in office and showcase the progress being recorded in transforming the state into an investment haven.
Experts at the event predicted a positive economic outlook in Edo on the back of the Benin Enterprise Park, the Cultural District, Modular Refinery, Ossiomo Power Company and other numerous transformative reforms and projects pursued by the state government. “Manufacturing is the way to go. Edo has the largest onshore gas reserve in Nigeria with most of our other gas in the swamps and the offshore. With that energy source, there’s no reason we cannot generate enough energy to attract investors to drive industrialisation. Agriculture; that’s what we grew up with. Of our 19 million square kilometres of land, there’s practically no way we cannot grow something.
“God has given us something that he has not given to many countries around the world. We have a huge domestic market and these over 200 million people have to 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 who have the capacity and knowledge to produce the things that we consume. Government cannot continue to behave as if they have all the resources because they don’t.
While applauding the governor for repositioning the state for economic progress and prosperity, Ighodalo said, “his vision and leadership have led to the creation of a long-term vision for the state and the implementation of several initiatives and programmes to improve the lives of our citizens.” Ighodalo continued: “In the last five years, the overhaul and massive improvement of our education system through the EdoBEST programme has been remarkable. Through this programme, Edo State has focused on delivering superior learning outcomes to students by investing in the professional development of teachers, ; training and equipping supervisors and quality assurance officers; developing state-owned schools in remote areas and sensitising parents on the need to send their children to school.