Obaseki’s tech revolution: EdoJobs hosts 500 local businesses, launches digital marketplace for Edo artisans

In pursuit of Governor Godwin Obaseki’s job creation and skills development drive in Edo State, EdoJobs in partnership with Genius Hub, has concluded plans to host not less than 500 local businesses to a stakeholders’ gathering to assess skills gaps and proffer workable solution to unemployment and underemployment.

Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the Governor on Skills Development and Jobs Creation, Mrs. Ukinebo Dare, who disclosed this in a chat with journalists, said that the gathering will hold on Thursday, September 27, at the Imaguero College Hall, in Benin City.

She noted that the gathering is aimed at mobilising local businesses to benefit from the training opportunities offered by EdoJobs and also tackle the various impediments to attracting skilled hands in the state.

She added that EdoJobs will also be launching a digital marketplace for artisans in collaboration with Genius Hub, which provides a platform for artisans to advertise their trade for increased patronage.

According to her, “The gathering will provide opportunity for networking and building stronger collaboration among over 500 businesses in the state. The one in Edo South is the first; other legs would hold in Edo North and Central. We are very keen on building a strong workforce in Edo state and this will give us the opportunity to directly interface with the employers of labour and entrepreneurs to see how best to support them.

 “The digital marketplace for artisans will expand their scope and reach and expose the really good ones to many persons who want their services but do not know where to get them. We believe this will revolutionalise the sector in the state.”

She added, “This will be a gathering of the big players and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). No one is going to be left behind. We want to assure them that Edo is indeed a place to do business. Also, we will be witnessing a boom in the industrial sector in the state with the big-ticket projects the governor and Chinese partners have signed off on. This is an opportunity to brainstorm on how the local businesses can benefit from them.”   

EdoJobs, a skills development and job creation platform, is an initiative of the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration that is delivering jobs and highly sought after skills in the state. The initiative has since been at the forefront of strategy, planning and implementation of job creation projects across the state’s three senatorial districts and manages the Edo Innovation Hub, where it facilitates capacity building in tech-focused jobs and skills.