Obaseki’s Investments in Technology Yielding Positive Results in Edo, Says Uwaibi

Adibe Emenyonu in Benin-City

The Managing Director, Edo State Investment Promotion Office (ESIPO), Mr. Kelvin Uwaibi, has said that public sector reforms facilitated by the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration have positively impacted businesses and repositioned government agencies to thrive in a globally competitive environment.

Uwaibi stated this when he spoke to journalists in Benin-City, shortly after his return from the 2nd Annual Africa Business Forum in Tallinn, Estonia, with the theme, “Building Pathways to Partnerships.”

He noted that investments in the technology sector in Edo State have boosted the government’s revolutionary e-government structure model, which enables the state government staff to work remotely and efficiently.

Emphasizing that investments in the technology sector in Edo State have further enhanced governance and the business environment, Uwaibi said: “These include laying an additional 2,000 km of fiber optics to connect all 18 local government areas with internet access and constructing a tier 4 data center.

“Additionally, our public sector reforms facilitated by our revolutionary e-government structure, which enables Edo State Government staff to work remotely and efficiently. This reform includes providing laptops to government employees and, in collaboration with our partners, training 3,000 staff members in ICT.”

He noted that innovation can occur more swiftly in Africa compared to more developed regions due to less entrenched legacy infrastructure.

Uwaibi, who corroborated the position of the Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Technology, Dr. Olatunbosun Tijani, stated that the private sector is crucial in developing Nigeria’s technology infrastructure.

He therefore, stressed the need for improvement in the potential of data harmonization, and expressed the hope to achieve through the Estonia X-Road model.

“It was encouraging to see many entrepreneurs in Estonia expressing interest in conducting business in Nigeria. We plan to follow up with these enterprises.”

He commended the Africa Leadership Fellowship for facilitating the impactful event organised by the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the European Union Programme, “NextGenerationEU“.