Edo State, AfDB Forge Strategic Partnership on Infrastructure, Youth Employment

The Edo State Government and the African Development Bank (AfDB) have advanced plans for a strategic partnership aimed at accelerating infrastructure development, urban renewal, youth employment, and human capital growth in the state.

A high-level technical meeting to this effect was held in Abuja, with the Edo State delegation led by the Commissioner for Finance, Hon. Emmanuel Okoebor, engaging in substantive discussions with a seven-member AfDB team, headed by Dr. Solomon Quaynor, Vice President for Infrastructure, Industrialization and Private Sector Development, and Dr. Abdul Kamara, the Bank’s Director General for Nigeria.

The meeting, which held on the sidelines of the National Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Summit at the Presidential Villa, was a key engagement attended by senior officials from the AfDB’s divisions on Infrastructure, Human Capital, Climate Change, Private Sector Development, and Agriculture, alongside delegates from the Bank’s Abidjan headquarters.

Edo State’s presentation at the session was anchored on its development blueprint, SHINE an acronym representing Security, Health, Infrastructure, Natural Resources, and Education which encapsulates Governor Monday Okpebholo’s vision for inclusive and sustainable economic growth.

Other members of the Edo delegation included Mr. Kizito Okpebholo, Special Adviser to the Governor on Investment and Finance; Barr. Yamen Mokogwu, Senior Counsel in the Ministry of Justice; and Mr. Taiwo Akerele, Executive Director of Policy House Nigeria, who contributed critical policy perspectives.

Discussions centred on structuring AfDB’s potential support to Edo within a framework of commercially viable, high-impact investments. Focus areas include transportation corridors, integrated urban infrastructure, youth skills development programmes, and climate-smart infrastructure all designed to unlock private-sector-led growth and improve livelihoods across Edo’s urban and rural communities.

Speaking for the Edo State delegation, Hon. Okoebor affirmed the government’s stance on forging investment partnerships rooted in strategy and sustainability. “Edo State is open for business not out of desperation but with a clear strategic vision for long-term, shared prosperity. We seek partnerships that align with our growth aspirations and deliver value to our people,” he said.

The AfDB team commended Edo State’s reform drive and proactive engagement with private sector and development finance institutions, describing it as a model worth replicating.

Both parties reaffirmed their readiness to proceed with next-phase technical discussions, as Edo State strengthens its ambition to build a resilient, future-oriented economy through credible, strategic partnerships.