Edo Diaspora Agency Rolls Out Agenda to Engage Indigenes Towards Development

The Edo State Diaspora Agency has indicated its desire to mobilize and involve Edo indigenes in the diaspora to accelerate the economic, social, and cultural growth of the state.

This was announced during a press conference on Thursday, in which it unveiled its master plan for developing sustainable relationships with people living outside the state.

Director General of the Agency, Dr. (Mrs.) Oduware Ogboro-Okor emphasized oneness and unity among Edo indigenes in the diaspora and at home.

“The diaspora is an integral part of our development story. Edo indigenes, wherever they are—whether in or outside Nigeria—have a significant interest in shaping the future of our state,” she declared.

The agency is also involved, Dr. Ogboro-Okor adds, in establishing formal channels for ongoing communication, investment promotion, and learning among the diaspora and key institutions within Edo State.

The objective, she explained, is to “leverage the skills, resources, and contacts of our global citizens to advantage every sector of our development.”

The agency will also create and maintain a comprehensive registry of Edo people in the diaspora. This is with the aim to foster coordination and maintain focused intervention on policy choice, welfare programs, and state-wide projects.

Part of its core mandate is to promote the welfare of Edo people abroad and redirect their skill and influence towards their native country.

Governor Monday Okpebholo has also given his support to the agency’s mission, calling on all Edo individuals—regardless of political or ideological inclination—to join the cause. “This is not politics. It is about building a future where every Edo person—wherever they live—believes in the potential of our state,” the governor said.

The creation of the Diaspora Agency is the fruition of persistent agitations by Edo diaspora communities across the globe, who have clamored for ages for a proper structure to allow them to meaningfully contribute to their nation. The agency will therefore be expected to perform that role of interlinkage—of connecting the state government and its diaspora for co-development.

To ensure the agency attains its objectives, Dr. Ogboro-Okor revealed that it would work very closely with the traditional institutions, the ministries, the local government councils, and other key stakeholders. This all-encompassing approach, she said, is crucial for plugging diaspora contributions into Edo’s development agenda altogether.

As Edo State looks to the future, the establishment of the Diaspora Agency is a step in the right direction towards participatory and inclusive governance—just as much one that recognizes the value of its people, wherever they happen to be on the globe.