The investment drive of the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration which is boosting investor confidence in Edo State, has earned the state commendation from the Nigeria Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC).
Acknowledging the efforts of the Edo State government at making the state highly sought after by investors, the NIPC also noted the need to consolidate on the structures that have put the state in the league of emerging investment destinations in the country.
Speaking at the three-day training organised by the NIPC and the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the Edo State Governor on Investment Promotion, for senior civil servants in the state, leader of the NIPC team and Director, State Coordination, Hajiya Ladi Katagum, stressed the need for states aspiring to be investor-friendly to have a robust website with information about the requirements for property registration and company incorporation.
According to Hajiya Katagun, for any state to achieve and sustain the status of an investor-friendly state, the state must have met some standards that make for easy location of businesses.
The NIPC team maintained that the user-friendly website must have all the information that a potential investor would require to make a quick investment decision.
“The website should have Information about the location of the state, infrastructure, quantity and quality of natural resources, climatic condition and the number of local government areas in the state.
“Others are, population size, land mass, utility rates, amongst others,” the NIPC said, adding that any state that is aspiring to grab the 5-Star rating, the highest in investment destination ranking, must have in place reliable business support structures.
Senior Special Assistant to the Edo State Governor on Investment Promotion, Mr. Kelvin Uwaibi, explained that the training was designed for senior civil servants in the state, to deepen their knowledge of investment promotion and ensure that all the agencies in the state work together to consolidate on the gains being made in making the state the preferred investment destination in the country.
The event was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development; Ministry of Arts, Culture, Tourism and Diaspora Affairs; Ministry of Local Government and Community Affairs; Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning; Ministry of Infrastructure; Edo State Geographic Information Service Agency, amongst others.
