Businesses, investors upbeat ahead of sixth Edo investment summit

Businesses, local as well as international investors are gearing up for the sixth edition of the annual Edo investment summit, Alaghodaro 2022, a policy think-tank that rallies private-sector investors and captains of industry in a bid to make Edo State the most investment-friendly sub-national in Nigeria.

Ifueko Alufohai, executive secretary, Alaghodaro Company Limited by Guarantee (GTE) and permanent secretary, Edo State Ministry of Social Development and Humanitarian Affairs, stated this while addressing journalists in Benin City, the state capital.

Alufohai said this year’s Alaghodaro Summit will focus on bolstering the efforts of the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration at improving the business environment and boosting the inflow of investments into the state.

This year’s summit, themed “Edo’s Transformation: Partnerships, Resilience, Impact”, is scheduled to take place in Benin City between Friday, November 11 and Sunday, November 13, 2022.

Noting that this year’s summit will provide a fine platform to sustain the conversation at improving the business environment in the state, Alufohai, who is also the focal person of Edo State SDGs, said various businesses have declared interests to wholly participate in the event.

“Every effort made by this administration to make the business environment better and friendly seems to be appreciated by businesses owing to the quality of ongoing conversations with businesses in the state ahead of the forthcoming Alaghodaro Summit,” Alufohai said.

“We are convinced that when these efforts are sustained, things will become better and businesses will thrive. When businesses thrive, it will boost the economy. There will be more jobs and wealth for the people,” she said.

She said it was important to understand that some businesses had left this state in the past as a result of the unfriendly business environment. These include Michelin Manufacturing Company, Kia Motors, Ewu Flour Mills, among others.

“If the situation was what it is now, they may not have left. So, this government has engaged quality businesses through Alaghodaro Summit and will continue sustain this effort in line with its vision of making Edo great again,” she said.

Alufohai said one of the important aspects of the forthcoming summit was the power sector reforms.

“The managing director of Ossiomo Power, a 95MW power generation and distribution facility in the state, Dr. Uwa Igiehon, will share insights at the summit. And this is important to the private sector and business community. We are determined to make Edo great again,” she said.