Okpebholo: Free land, C of O offer still available to investors….Governor renews incentive, urges diaspora, foreign investors to take advantage of Edo opportunities

By Ayewa Eraolei Felix

Governor Monday Okpebholo has disclosed that none of the investors offered free land and free Certificates of Occupancy (C of O) at the Edo State Global Investment Summit in Glasgow last year has taken up the incentive, saying the offer remains open.

The governor made the disclosure during the Edo SHINE Beyond Borders engagement with Edo indigenes in London, where he renewed his appeal to local and foreign investors to establish businesses in the state.

Okpebholo had announced at the Glasgow summit that the first five investors willing to establish industries or other productive enterprises in Edo State would receive free land and free Certificates of Occupancy as part of his administration’s investment promotion strategy.

Speaking in London, the governor said the incentive had yet to be claimed, adding that his administration remained committed to supporting genuine investors prepared to do business in the state.

He said Edo possesses enormous opportunities in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, housing, tourism and technology, stressing that the government had continued to improve security, infrastructure and the ease of doing business to attract private capital.

Okpebholo urged Edo professionals and entrepreneurs in the diaspora to move beyond emotional attachment to their homeland by investing in enterprises capable of creating jobs and stimulating economic growth.

According to him, his administration is determined to build an economy driven by private investment rather than dependence on government spending, assuring prospective investors of transparent land administration, policy consistency and government support.

The governor said the state would continue to position itself as a competitive investment destination through reforms and strategic partnerships designed to unlock economic opportunities.

The free land initiative formed part of the investment incentives unveiled during the Edo State Global Investment Summit in Glasgow, where the state sought to attract foreign direct investment and deepen partnerships with international investors and the Edo diaspora.