MADE Shares Achievements, Lessons from ESIP Project with Stakeholders in Edo

Market Development in Niger Delta (MADE II) has organised a stakeholders’ conference to share its achievements, as well as receive feedback from participants on projects aimed at tackling human trafficking and forced labour in Edo State.

Themed: ‘Strengthening Marketbased Approaches to Stimulate Livelihood Opportunities,’ the event held in Benin City, the capital.

It was organised as part of the organisation’s Edo State Investment Portfolio (ESIP) Project.

In his welcome address, MADE’s Team Leader, Tunde Oderinde, applauded partners in the state, including the government, for embracing the project’s recommendations and approach.

“Like travellers, we came into Edo State specifically to look into a new terrain, a new dimension, and how to strengthen livelihoods for the teeming youth,” he said.

“We knocked the doors, we met some of our potential victims, and we met some of the returnees. We came with honest intentions and you did one thing: you opened your doors, you’ve shared knowledge with us, and in 2018, July 24 specifically, we came back to share our recipe with you, what we intended doing: aspirational sector on one side and also to look at livelihoods within the agricultural sector on the other side.

“Today, we currently have a portfolio with suites of interventions within the agricultural value chains and also in some aspirational sector. And we are here today also to sit with you, share the soup with you, learn from you, and also chart a way forward.”

Oderinde added that the event was also put in place to validate ideas that can be implemented subsequently and suggest means of further stimulating investment into Edo State.

Rufus Idris, who manages ESIP, provided an overview of the project.

He explained that ESIP aims at reducing the incidents of human trafficking and irregular migration by increasing the state’s capacity to provide aspirational economic opportunities to raise the incomes of returnees and vulnerable persons.

The project especially focuses on such sectors as agribusiness, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), entertainment, trading, renewable energy, and fashion. Its objective is to facilitate investments and partnerships that will positively impact 40,000 persons and increase the earnings of 30,000 residents of the state.

“ESIP is a new component that came into MADE II sponsored by DFID focusing on Edo State and the northern part of Delta state,” he said.

“These regions are unique because of the issue of human trafficking and irregular migration with data showing that prevalence of this is more is this region.

“MADE through ESIP is here to see how we can help Edo State increase its human capacity to provide aspirational economic opportunities for people that are vulnerable and potential victims; and we believe by doing this we will reduce the incidents or temptation to want to embark on human trafficking.”