By Edward Oseghe
BENIN CITY – Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has urged Edo indigenes in the Diaspora to mobilise support for the delivery of 2.5 million votes to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, saying the visible transformation across Edo State is driven by the President’s bold economic reforms.
The governor made the call on Friday at the “Shine Beyond Borders” London Executive Forum, organised by the Edo State Government through a delegation led by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Diaspora Affairs, Mr. Goddy Francis Okoyo, alongside the Director-General of the Edo State Diaspora Agency (ESDA), Dr. Loretta Oduware Ogboro-Okor, and the Senior Special Assistant on Diaspora Matters, Hon. Osarodion Osagie.
The forum, which concluded a week-long UK diaspora engagement tour across Glasgow, Manchester, Birmingham and London, was themed “Edo SHINE 2026: Shining Beyond Borders.” Organised by the London Professional Training Centre (LPTC) with the support of the Edo State Government, EDODIASPORA, EDIDAN and Heartbeat of the Diaspora, it aimed to strengthen engagement with Edo professionals abroad, promote investment, knowledge transfer and strategic partnerships for the state’s development.
Addressing Edo professionals, entrepreneurs and investors, Governor Okpebholo said President Tinubu’s reforms, particularly the removal of fuel subsidy, have enhanced states’ financial capacity to deliver impactful projects.
“The era of governors queuing up for bailouts in Abuja before they could pay workers’ salaries is over. Today, states have more money not only for salaries but enough to undertake infrastructural development,” he said.
He cited major projects including the Ramat Park Flyover, the reconstruction of the Ekpoma–Auchi section of the Benin–Okene Highway with concrete pavement and the extension of the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway through Edo State. He also highlighted security gains through an Army Forward Operational Base, MOPOL 82 Squadron, 500 Forest Guards and the approval of a new Army Division.
According to him, the administration’s SHINE Agenda is delivering measurable progress in infrastructure, healthcare, education, security and economic development, making Edo an attractive investment destination.
The governor urged Edo professionals and investors abroad to return home with their expertise, technology, global networks and investments, stressing that the state should be judged by its performance rather than “online mischiefs and propaganda.”
He also called on the Diaspora to become ambassadors of Edo State and support President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, expressing confidence that Edo could deliver 2.5 million votes for the President.
The interactive forum featured discussions on investment opportunities, government policies and ongoing development initiatives, while fostering networking between government and the Edo diaspora.
Speaking on the broader initiative, Hon. Osagie said the diaspora engagement would be expanded beyond the United Kingdom to Europe, Asia and the Americas to attract investment, strengthen global partnerships and harness the expertise of Edo professionals worldwide in advancing Governor Okpebholo’s SHINE Agenda and President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
