Okpebholo’s Reforms Win UK Diaspora Endorsement as Investors Pledge Support After London Engagement

By Jude Opara

Governor Monday Okpebholo’s recent trip to the United Kingdom has been described as a major success, with Edo professionals and investors in the diaspora expressing renewed confidence in the state’s development and pledging to invest in its economy.

The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Dr. Patrick Ebojele, said in a statement issued on Monday that the governor’s engagement with Edo professionals and investors in the UK marked a significant breakthrough in boosting international confidence in the state’s development agenda and attracting new investment opportunities.

Ebojele dismissed criticisms that the trip was merely a “jamboree,” insisting that it was a serious business and investment forum designed to reconnect Edo indigenes in the diaspora with opportunities in their home state.

According to him, the interactive session brought together Edo professionals, entrepreneurs, manufacturers, researchers, medical practitioners, artisans and business leaders residing in the UK, many of whom had relied on social media reports for information about developments in Edo State.

He said the governor used the opportunity to present firsthand evidence of his administration’s achievements, particularly in the areas of security, infrastructure and industrial development, which changed the perception of many participants.

“Many of them admitted they had been misled by negative reports on social media. After seeing presentations of ongoing projects and hearing directly from the governor, they acknowledged that Edo has changed and expressed their readiness to invest,” Ebojele said.

He added that the event gave participants ample opportunity to engage directly with Governor Okpebholo, ask questions, exchange ideas and explore investment opportunities across various sectors of the state’s economy.

According to Ebojele, several diaspora groups submitted proposals to partner with the Edo State Government in business, industrialisation and community development after receiving assurances that the administration had created and would continue to maintain an enabling environment for investment.

The governor, he said, reaffirmed that security remains the foundation of his administration’s SHINE agenda, stressing that sustainable development can only thrive in an atmosphere of peace and safety.

Ebojele further disclosed that the governor addressed concerns over land administration, explaining that reforms were introduced after investigations allegedly uncovered cases in which minors were registered as owners of hundreds of plots of land under questionable circumstances.

As part of efforts to encourage investment, Governor Okpebholo also announced incentives, including the allocation of free land to the first set of qualified investors willing to establish businesses in the state.

“The diaspora community contributes millions of dollars annually in remittances. What the government is doing is creating a structured platform that will channel those resources into productive investments that will benefit Edo State,” Ebojele said.

The governor was accompanied on the trip by former Edo State Governor and Senator representing Edo North, Adams Oshiomhole; Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Blessing Agbebaku; Secretary to the Edo State Government, Umar Musa Ikhilor; Majority Leader of the Edo State House of Assembly, Hon. Jonathan Ibhamawu; Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State, Jarrett Tenebe; and other senior government officials.