By Dipo Olowookere
Governor of Edo State, Mr Godwin Obaseki, is on the verge of completing a deal worth $200 million for a textile industry to be operated by the anchor tenant at the Benin Enterprise Park (BEP), as part of concerted efforts to industrialise the state.
It was gathered that the embattled Governor is in Shandong Province, the third largest province in China by population and GDP, to attract more companies to expand into the BEP.
It is important to state that the Shandong Province has become a power house for manufacturing and export.
From information confirmed by Mr Obaseki, he and his entourage to China visited the Foreign Affairs Office of the Shandong Provincial People’s Government for final talks with investors.
The Governor and his team were received by Mr Ling Wen (Vice Governor of Shandong Province), Mr Li Yongsen (Deputy Director) in the company of Mr Sun Qiang (China International Chamber of Commerce, Shandong Sub-Province), Mrs Jiang Jie and Mrs Sun Meiju (Shandong Department of Commerce).
On the delegation of Mr Obaseki were the Edo State Public Private Partnership (PPP) team and the developers of the BEP, Amaya Capital. It was learned the delegation had marathon of meetings with some Chinese investors.
Edo State government is also in partnership with the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) for the promotion of investment in the Cotton, Textiles and Garments (CTG) sector. The BEP would be a key CTG powerhouse in Nigeria with the investment.
Adedapo Adesanya