Benin City — Hopes that the Edo Global Economic Summit would bring fresh investment into the state were dashed over the weekend as not a single foreign investor attended the event.
The summit, championed by Governor Monday Okpebholo’s administration, was billed as an international platform to woo investors. Instead, the gathering turned into what many described as more of a reunion of Edo indigenes in the diaspora.
When challenged to show evidence of investment meetings during his recent trip to the United Kingdom, the governor released photos of himself at a town hall meeting with Edo people abroad, flanked by his entourage. However, the images revealed no sign of foreign investors or business representatives.
Critics have slammed the development as a waste of taxpayers’ funds, accusing the government of using foreign trips for photo opportunities rather than securing tangible economic deals.
Observers say the outcome raises questions about the state government’s strategy on economic growth and whether the governor should focus more on domestic challenges instead of what they describe as “political tourism.”
