*Experts laud Obaseki’s job creation drive, chart pathway for sustainability*

Experts drawn from the organised private sector, multilateral organisations and grant-making firms, have lauded the job creation drive of the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration in Edo State, urging for intervention in agriculture, gender issues to sustain the gains that have been made.

This was the submission by experts during a policy session moderated by Afolabi Imokhuede, Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Job Creation and Youth Empowerment, at the just-concluded Alaghodaro Summit, held to mark Obaseki’s two years in office.

The experts advocated the need for more reforms to ease doing business, investment in proper training to satisfy international standards, putting in place gender targeted policies and exploiting more opportunities in the agriculture sector as ways of improving job creation efforts.

Some of the panelists included the Managing Director (MD), Presco Plc., Felix Nwabuko; Senior Private Sector Specialist, Finance Competitiveness and Innovation, World Bank, Kofi Boateng Aggyen; MD, VACC Technical, Connie Guilfoyle; MD\CEO, Dangote Foundation, Mrs Zouera Yousoufou, and Senior Special Assistant to Edo State Governor on Jobs Creation/ Skills Development, Mrs. Ukinebo Dare.

Speaking on the investment climate in the state, Agyen explained that Edo has a rich investment climate and advised that government deepens policies on ease of doing business.

Ukinebo said that the state government is investing in key infrastructural projects to fast-track job creation, noting that the Obaseki-led government has made job creation, social and infrastructure development and economic prosperity key to his policy.

“In the last two years, figures and travel patterns in the region appear to show that our economic drives are yielding fruits,” she added.

Yousoufou disclosed that her foundation has made provisions to help women in need of grants to do business, adding “the foundation has an arrangement with the Bank of Industry on this matter and would be looking out for ways to partner with the state.

Nwabuko, on his part, maintained that there was need to exploit agriculture because it is still the biggest employer of labour in the country.

Experts in which field?

This was the submission by experts during a policy session moderated by Afolabi Imokhuede, Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Job Creation and Youth Empowerment, at the just-concluded Alaghodaro Summit, held to mark Obaseki’s two years in office.

Gathering of his political associates not experts.