Representatives from the governments of Edo State and South Africa met in Benin City to discuss possible partnerships in a number of areas after agreeing that it is critical to look into ways to improve and enhance their bilateral ties.
On Monday, February 10, 2025, Professor Bobby J. Moroe, the ambassador of South Africa to Nigeria, led his team to meet with Mr. Amen Odigie, the managing director of the Edo State Investment Promotion Office (ESIPO) and Ease of Doing Business Secretariat, and his team at ESIPO’s location in order to facilitate collaborations.
Ambassador Moroe stressed the significance of reviving the long-standing friendship between South Africa and Nigeria at the meeting. He noted ESIPO’s role in facilitating communications between the government and private sector, suggesting a more coordinated approach to leveraging opportunities between the two sub-nationals.
According to him, “We are focusing on key areas such as technology, agro-processing, tourism, and hospitality. We want to explore how we can capitalize on the opportunities within these sectors.”
Additionally, he invited Edo State to take part in the next South Africa Week in Lagos in April 2025, proposing a cultural show by an Edo cultural group and chances to network with South African companies doing business in Nigeria.
In his response, Mr. Amen Odigie, Managing Director of the Edo State Investment Promotion Office (ESIPO), emphasized the many opportunities for cooperation, particularly considering Nigeria’s status as Africa’s largest economy.
He reiterated that, “As a state, we are interested in collaboration within the aforementioned sectors. Mining is another sector we believe we have to offer because, Edo state has a lot of untapped solid minerals. We have Gold, Lithium, Bitumen, Granite, Limestone, Dolomite and so many other mineral resources. So, we really want to tap into these opportunities. We have been given the mandate to bring investors into this space to develop the state. And for us, in this administration, along with agriculture and other sectors, mining sector is also key and I know South Africa is big on mining”.
Emphasizing the Edo State government’s focus on technology transfer, entrepreneurship training for the state’s large youth population (approximately 68%).
“As a state, we are interested in human capital development. We want to be able to create opportunities for our youths, developing training programmes in collaboration with South African institutions to build capacity in numerous sectors; technology inclusive, thereby taking the youths out of unemployment. ESIPO and the Edo State government assure you of our full collaboration. Edo State is rich in opportunities and we are open for business.” Mr.Odigie noted.
Ambassador Moroe and his colleagues met with the leaders of various government ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) as well as the Benin Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines, and Agriculture (BENCCIMA) after the meeting with ESIPO. He pledged to collaborate with Edo State on a well-defined action plan with precise deadlines.
