Obaseki: How We Moved Edo from 14th to One of Nigeria’s Top Five Economies

Fetes govt house staff, others, appreciates them for support

The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has said the reforms, economic policies and programmes implemented by his administration over the past seven years have repositioned the state as one of the top five economies in the country.

Speaking to journalists in Benin City, the governor said his government will sustain efforts to promote economic expansion, through sustained investments across various sectors of the state's economy, necessary to drive growth and development.

The governor said, “Seven years ago, Edo ranked between 13th and 14th in terms of GDP in the country. Today, we are a clear 5th. We're top 10 in the country in terms of the size of our economy and growth. But what is important is the growth that has occurred since we took over.

“We were able to achieve this by encouraging investment inflow that has contributed to the economy of the state. It's the people as well as the activities of government that drive the economy. We have moved Edo State from the era where the government was doing things themselves to one in which the government is creating the enabling environment for people to come and invest and do business in the state.”

On plans to sustain the gains recorded in the growth of the state's economy in the New Year, Obaseki said the government will continue to pursue reforms to facilitate economic expansion and other enablers.

He said: “We have made an allocation in the 2024 budget to drive economic and employment enablers. These will enhance the ease of doing business and also facilitate the injection of private capital into the economy to create more opportunities for our teeming youth population.

“Some of these include investment in our legacy projects such as the Benin Enterprise Park, the Benin Port Project, and the Trailer Park projects, among others, which will spur economic expansion and growth.”