Bimbola Oyesola, [email protected]
The Edo State government, under the administration of Governor Godwin Obaseki, has said it created over 150,000 jobs, including training programmes in technical and vocational skills, technology innovation and business acceleration, among others, within two years.
This is even as the state is set for the celebration of the third Alaghodaro Summit.
The initiative, the state said, is part of its committement to ensure that the state is reset from its status as a civil service state to one that is driven by productivity on the back of its teeming youth population.
The state government established the Edo State Skills Development Agency (EdoJobs), to actualise the governor’s promise of creating 200,000 jobs in his first term in office.
The Obaseki-led administration has created the Edo Production Centre, a novel initiative to drive partnership with the Market Development for the Niger Delta (MADE) II programme, Benson Idahosa University (BIU) and the Des Moines Area Community College in Iowa, the United States of America.
The state said it would be a multipurpose, one-stop shop for small businesses. share support infrastructure such as 24 hours electricity, security and low-cost financing to help boost economic growth in the state.
Another major contributor to the state’s burgeoning tech scene, which now incubates young innovators, is the Edo Innovation Hub. The Hub, which also houses the South South Innovation Hub, is a cluster for innovators and inventors in Benin City, and is priming youth to evolve and strengthen the technology ecosystem in the state.
Head, EdoJobs, Mrs. Ukinebo Dare, said the state government has done a lot in energizing the economy by engaging youths and providing opportunities for them to garner skills or to improve their chances for employability.
According to her, “We have struck a number of partnerships with businesses within the state and beyond, aimed at upskilling our youths. A number of them have gotten employed while many others are self-employed. Our strategy is holistic and takes the issue of job creation from different fronts, ensuring that youths are best served with the right opportunities to explore their potentials.”
One of the innovative projects to drive industrialisation by the Obaseki-led administration is the Edo Production hub. The facility provides Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and artisans with 24-hour electricity, business support, market development and industry linkage opportunities.
It currently serves as a mini-replica of the big businesses and diverse industries expected at the Benin Enterprise and Industrial Park. The facility allows small businesses to share support infrastructure like security and low-cost financing to help boost economic growth in the state.
The center, located in the Sapele Road axis of Benin City, is fitted with factory space, security and office space and live-in desks for relevant government agencies to engage, support and provide services to small businesses. The agencies to be hosted at the facility are the Bank of Industry (BoI), Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Edo Internal Revenue Service (EIRS), among others.
Date also noted that the facility is fitted with 500KV transformers, which are connected to the 33KV line in the area.
“It has 1.2MW of power at the onset, which would eventually be expanded to 4MW, to power heavy machines to be run at the facility,” she said.
2019 Alaghodaro
The local organising committee for the 2019 Alaghodaro Summit recently released the programme of activities to mark the third year of the Alaghodaro Summit, stressing that the business summit would evaluate the administration’s achievements and propose ways to deepen their impact on Edo people and residents.
Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Communication Strategy, Mr. Crusoe Osagie, said the five-day event will commence with the women’s summit/Jumat service on Friday, November 8, 2019.
According to him, the women summit will be followed by a golf tournament on Saturday, November 9, while a special thanksgiving service will take place on Sunday, November 10, 2019. Also, the 2019 Alaghodaro will feature a Job Summit on Monday 11 and while the Edo Summit holds on Tuesday 12, 2019, with the theme, “Delivering to the People, The Next Level”.
“The women’s summit will present an opportunity for women groups to engage with relevant stakeholders and brainstorm on the government’s programmes as well as explore ways to contribute to efforts to drive inclusive social growth for women to improve their socio-economic conditions.
“The fair will also feature experts, businessmen, captains of industry and employers of labour and showcase the governor’s commitment to promoting social inclusion through intervention programmes on industrialization, jobs creation, affordable housing, reforms in basic education and primary health care.
“Over 150,000 jobs have been created directly and indirectly through EdoJobs, in addition to the several trainings to improve skills. The governor has achieved so much in the education sector with the EdoBEST (Basic Education Sector Transformation).”