The Edo State Government has entered into a strategic partnership with the State of the African Diaspora (SOAD) to attract investment and accelerate development in key sectors, including infrastructure, agriculture and transportation.
The agreement was reached during a meeting between Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, and the Prime Minister of SOAD, Dr. Louis-Georges Tin, at the Government House in Benin City.
Under the proposed partnership, SOAD is expected to explore investment opportunities in the planned Gele Seaport, railway infrastructure and agriculture, among other areas identified as critical to Edo’s economic growth.
Receiving Tin and his delegation, Governor Okpebholo welcomed the partnership and expressed appreciation to SOAD for choosing Nigeria, particularly Edo State, as a destination for its proposed investments.
The governor stressed the importance of creating an enabling environment for Africans in the diaspora to reconnect with the continent and contribute to development through investments.
Okpebholo said his administration had strengthened the Edo State Diaspora Agency because of the potential benefits of diaspora investments and remittances to the state’s economy.
He noted that the agency had existed before his administration but was not fully operational, adding that his government was committed to expanding its activities.
Speaking on the partnership, Tin said the initiative went beyond economic investment, describing it as an opportunity for people of African descent to reconnect with their ancestral homeland.
He said SOAD represents an estimated 350 million people of African descent globally, many of whom are descendants of Africans forcibly taken from the continent.
Tin explained that the return of people of African descent to Africa should be viewed as a reconnection with their roots rather than merely tourism.
He disclosed that his delegation had inspected several locations and projects in Edo State and identified the proposed seaport, railway development and agriculture as areas where SOAD could contribute.
According to him, joint teams comprising representatives of SOAD and the Edo State Government have been constituted to work on the proposed projects and develop the partnership.
Tin added that the priority projects identified by the teams had been forwarded to the Edo State Attorney-General for legal review.
The Edo State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Professor Roland Otaru, said the proposed agreement was being reviewed to address areas requiring clarification or amendment and ensure that the interests of the state were adequately protected.
Earlier, the Director-General of the Edo State Diaspora Agency, Loretta Oduware Ogboro-Okoro, said the partnership was aimed at deepening collaboration between Edo State and the African diaspora to promote sustainable development.
The initiative is expected to create a framework for attracting diaspora investment, improving critical infrastructure, boosting agriculture and opening up new economic opportunities for residents of Edo State.