One Year After Free Land Promise, Okpebholo Renews Appeal as Edo Awaits Diaspora Investments

By Correspondent

Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, has renewed his appeal to Edo indigenes in the diaspora to return home and invest in the state’s economy, offering free land and expedited Certificates of Occupancy (C of O) to genuine investors.

The governor made the appeal during an engagement with Edo professionals and business leaders in the United Kingdom under the SHINE Beyond Borders initiative, where he urged them to become active partners in the economic transformation of their homeland.

Okpebholo had made similar appeal in previous engagement.

According to Okpebholo, his administration has created an enabling environment for investment through improved security, road infrastructure, healthcare and education, assuring prospective investors that the state is open for business.

He encouraged Edo professionals abroad to channel their financial resources, skills, technology and global business connections into the state, stressing that the government was prepared to support serious investors with free land and faster processing of land titles.

“I am inviting you to come home and invest. We are ready to provide free land and facilitate Certificates of Occupancy for genuine investors,” the governor reportedly said during the meeting. He promised “free land to first five investors.”

The renewed appeal, however, has drawn attention because it comes about a year after the governor announced virtually the same incentive package for diaspora and foreign investors.

When the administration first unveiled the initiative, it promised free land allocations and simplified land documentation as part of efforts to attract investments capable of creating jobs and stimulating industrial development in Edo State. Okpebholo however told participants at this year’s London investment drive, that since his government made the offer, no one has come forward to claim the incentive.

A year later, however, there is little publicly available evidence that the initiative has translated into major diaspora-backed investments or large-scale projects arising directly from beneficiaries of the free-land offer.

Although the government has continued to organise investment forums and diaspora engagements while projecting Edo as an attractive investment destination, no comprehensive public record has been released detailing the number of investors who accepted the offer, the volume of investments secured, or the number of jobs created through the programme.

The absence of such publicly disclosed outcomes is raising questions about the effectiveness of the earlier diaspora investment drive and whether the incentives alone are sufficient to persuade diaspora investors to commit substantial capital to the state.

Economic analysts say that while incentives such as free land can encourage investment, investors are often more influenced by consistent government policies, infrastructure, ease of doing business, access to markets, security and transparency in land administration.

They argue that many diaspora investors also seek evidence of successful investment stories before committing significant resources.

During the London engagement, Governor Okpebholo urged participants to ignore what he described as negative propaganda about the state and instead assess his administration based on its developmental projects and reforms.

He maintained that Edo has become safer for businesses and residents and assured investors that his administration would continue to remove bureaucratic bottlenecks hindering investment.

The governor also used the opportunity to canvass support for President Bola Tinubu’s administration, arguing that ongoing economic reforms have strengthened states’ financial capacity to undertake developmental projects.

With the latest investment appeal, attention is expected to shift from renewed promises to measurable outcomes, as stakeholders await concrete evidence that the incentives announced by the government will translate into actual investments, industries, employment opportunities and sustainable economic growth in Edo State.