Edo deputy governor links security drive to investment and farming

Edo Deputy Governor Dennis Idahosa has said the state government’s security policies have created a safer environment for investment and agriculture. Idahosa made the claim on Monday during a courtesy visit by a delegation from the Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta, led by its Programme Director, Effiong Essien. He said Governor Monday Okpebholo’s people-oriented policies, legislative reforms and security measures had contributed to a reduction in crime and strengthened the justice system.

He identified the fight against kidnapping, cultism and other forms of criminality as a central part of the administration’s SHINE Agenda. According to the deputy governor, investors and farmers can operate effectively only when their lives, businesses and farmlands are safe. He linked the security programme to the administration’s food-sufficiency efforts, saying farmers needed secure communities and access to their farms to increase production.

Idahosa also welcomed PIND’s decision to base its Human Capital Development programmes in Edo and said the state was ready to collaborate. He described the organisation’s community interventions as needs-driven and said partnerships with businesses and development agencies could support rural communities and value chains. Essien said PIND works with governments, communities, businesses and development partners to promote peace and equitable economic growth in the Niger Delta.

Its stated priorities include reducing poverty, supporting youth employment and strengthening coastal communities. He asked the state to help establish safe farm corridors, strengthen agricultural value-chain actors and reactivate the Edo Skills Development Centre. He also sought a government focal person to receive early-warning information from peace actors across the state’s 18 local government areas.