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Economic Hardship: Obaseki At Oxford University, Explains How He Grew Edo GDP To $26bn

Published

2 years ago

May 26, 2024

Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State has narrated how he grew the state Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to over $26bn in the last seven years.

The governor made this known during his keynote address at the Oxford University Conference 2024, themed, “Charting Africa’s Path Forward: A Journey of Possibilities.”

The conference was organised by the Oxford University Africa Society, at the Blavatnik School of Government, Oxford, United Kingdom.

Speaking on the economic hardships bedeviling Nigeria, Obaseki noted that it was necessary for the government of Nigeria to step back and advance critical policies that would enable people to create wealth.

Speaking on the sub-theme, “Unlocking Africa’s Potential: The power of public-private partnership,” the governor said he undertook radical changes that have transformed the state’s economy.

According to Obaseki, any government that intends to grow the economy needs to step back and advance policies that would allow the people the opportunity to create wealth.

He said , “How did we grow our economy? We focused on institutions. We focused on governance because that would help us organize ourselves. We reformed our civil service. We cleaned up our processes and digitized the way the government does business. Today, right on my desktop, I have most data on the government available at the click of a button.

“More importantly, we have worked on the human capital – the civil service. We have given them a sense of pride and made them respected. We have ensured that they are well remunerated. A few weeks ago, I announced the highest minimum wage in the country, even that is inadequate.”

He added: “We have focused on the bureaucracy. This is not for the benefit of the bureaucracy itself, but to ensure that it helps people realise their potential. Government is supposed to work for us as citizens. To do that, we need to have clarity. Government’s role is not to build the economy. Its role is to help citizens achieve their goals.”

Obaseki noted that his administration placed emphasis on creating the enabling environment for businesses to thrive in the state

He, noted: “We deployed seamless means of collecting fair taxes from the citizenry. We also undertook the task of repositioning the government to carry out its principal function, which is regulation.

“Government needs to understand that it needs to step back and create opportunities for people to create wealth and make money.”

The governor, while noting that there was a lot of emphasis on human capital development, he said: “It is people that make things happen; the government’s responsibility is to focus on the people and key to this is education.

“When we came into government in Edo State, we understood that it was not all about schooling. Education is not just about schooling, but learning. So we focused deliberately on foundational literacy and numeracy. If I have $100 to spend on education, I will spend $40 on basic education. We have focused on basic education in the last seven years and you can see the transformation in the kids. The children in Edo today learn 70 to 80 percent as much as their peers in Britain or America.

“Usually, everyone got an education for the certificates or to be employed. But we felt that was not right. Our people need to get educated to make them useful to themselves and the society. They need to be able to employ and sustain themselves.”

The governor also said his administration focused on remediation of the vocational education system, which had been broken and that as at January 2017, the rot had led to an exodus of over 30,000 youths who were waiting in Libya to cross over to Europe, according to data from the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).

“It was a humanitarian crisis. Young people wanted to stay anywhere else but home. They had to travel. As a result, we were top of the list in human trafficking and irregular migration. That was a signal. We had to support them and get the data on why they were leaving. The data showed that the education system had been broken and had to be fixed, which is what we have done,” he added.

The governor also said that he had to focus on providing key infrastructure to drive growth, focusing on roads and bridges, energy and digital infrastructure, which were critical to expanding the state’s economy.

According to him, “We are right at the centre of the country. We are the cheapest location to generate electricity because we have both the transmission and gas grids running through the State. Today, we supply close to 13 percent of the total electricity in Nigeria. Most importantly, we have onshore gas and have attracted investment in electricity generation.

“We have Independent Power Plants (IPPs) running in the State. Also, in the last three years, we have built almost 2000km of fibre optic cable infrastructure running through the State. We are currently building an additional 300km of fibre optic cable infrastructure to connect schools and primary healthcare centres.”

News

Children’s Day: Chaos At Ogbe Stadium As Dozens Faint

Published

15 hours ago

May 27, 2026

Editor

Chaos erupted on Wednesday during the Children’s Day celebration as dozens of students reportedly collapsed following a stampede triggered by the use of pepper spray.

The event,
organised by the Edo State Ministry of Education at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium was disrupted after some male students of Ihogbe College allegedly made uncompromising advances towards female students at the venue.
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‎ A parent who identified himself as Oboh Emmanuel said, “the behaviour of those uncultured students attracted the attention of bouncers stationed at the stadium as they rebuked the male students.”
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‎Oboh said the affected students later regrouped and attacked the bouncers, leading to a confrontation within the crowded arena.

READ ALSO:Children’s Day: Edo Commits To Child Protection
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It was gathered that in the ensuing confusion, the bouncers were reported to have deployed pepper spray in an area occupied by a large number of students.
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‎Several students, particularly female students, reportedly fainted after inhaling the substance, while others sustained injuries after being stepped on during the ensuing melee.
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‎The panic was said to have spread across the stadium as students, teachers and parents scampered for safety.
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‎Many of the affected students were reportedly rushed to the Edo Specialist Hospital for medical attention.

Reacting to the incident, Chief Press Secretary to Governor Monday Okpebholo, Dr Patrick Ebojele, said the security personnel that fired the tear gas had been detained.

He said all the students, except two, that were rushed to the hospital have been discharged.

Ebojele stated that doctors wanted to observe the students till tomorrow before allowing them to go home.

“The two students are not seriously injured. Doctors want to observe them overnight. Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education is still at the hospital. The man who used pepper spray has been detained.

“The incident did not happen the way it is being exaggerated. All modalities were put in place to ensure the children enjoyed their day.”
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News

Okpebholo Salutes Edo Muslims, Seeks Continued Support, Prayers

Published

16 hours ago

May 27, 2026

Editor

Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State has urged Muslims and all Nigerians to continue to pray for peace, unity and progress in the country even as they celebrate the annual Eid-al-Adha

The governor, who was represented by his deputy, Dennis Idahosa, stated this during the annual Eid-al-Adha celebration with Muslim faithfuls held at Government House in Benin City.

He reiterated his administration’s commitment to fairness, inclusivity and equal opportunities for all citizens irrespective of religion and tribe.

According to him, the present administration remains determined to building a government that reflects the diversity of Edo State, noting that competent and qualified Muslims have continued to play vital roles in his government because of their capacity, integrity and commitment to service.

“As a government, we remain committed to fairness, inclusivity and equal opportunity for every Edo citizen, irrespective of religion, ethnicity or political affiliation. This is why quality and competent Muslims are serving in key positions in our administration.”

Okpebholo appreciated the Muslim community in Edo State for their unwavering support and continuous prayers for his administration, noting that such prayers and support have contributed immensely to the peace and steady development being witnessed across the state.

He then called on all Nigerians to use the occasion of Eid-al-Adha to pray for the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, stressing that the country needs collective prayers, unity and cooperation to overcome its present economic and security challenges.

“I urge all Muslims and indeed all Nigerians to use this occasion to pray for our dear nation and for the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Nigeria needs our collective prayers, unity and support as we strive to overcome our challenges and build a more prosperous future for all.”

In his remarks, the Chief Imam of Edo State, Abdulfatai Enabulele, applauded the governor for what he described as remarkable developmental strides recorded in less than two years in office.

The cleric commended the administration for ongoing infrastructural development and efforts geared towards improving governance in the state, but appealed to the government to revisit and complete some abandoned projects inherited from the previous administration for the benefit of the people.

News

Children’s Day: Edo Commits To Child Protection

Published

16 hours ago

May 27, 2026

Editor

The Edo State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to protecting the rights of children, promoting quality education, and strengthening sports development across the state.

This assurance was given by the governor of Edo State, Monday Okpebholo, during the 2026 Children’s Day Celebration and Governor’s Cup Finale held on Wednesday at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City.

Addressing pupils, students and teachers,
the governor described children as the pride of Edo State and the future of the nation.

The governor, represented by his deputy, Dennis Idahosa,
noted that the annual celebration provides an opportunity to honour their dreams, talents, and limitless potential.

Speaking on this year’s Children’s Day theme, “Choose Kindness, Reject Bullying,” the governor said the message was timely and significant, as it emphasizes the need to create safe, supportive, and inclusive environments for children both in schools and communities.

He stated that bullying in all forms — physical, verbal, emotional, or online — has no place in society, adding that the Edo State Government remains fully committed to protecting the rights and dignity of every child.

According to him, the administration will continue to strengthen policies and programmes that promote child protection, discipline, mutual respect, and positive learning environments across schools in the State.

The governor urged children to embrace kindness, compassion, teamwork, and respect for one another, stressing that true strength lies not in intimidation but in empathy, good character, and mutual understanding.