Tony Osauzo, Benin
On-going National Festival for Arts and Culture, tagged NAFEST 2020, is part of Governor Godwin Obaseki administration’s efforts in opening the state for businesses and employment opportunities for young people.
Chief of Staff to Governor Godwin Obaseki, Taiwo Akerele, who stated this yesterday, said the National Sports Festival which would be hosted by the state next year was an avenue being created to boost the socio-economic life of the state.
“Edo State is using this national festival of arts and culture to send a very positive signal to the world that we are ready for business. We are investing in the capacity of our infrastructure to host thousands of people on an annual basis for conferences, festivals and other events. With these we channel the energies of our youths to productive ventures and far away from thuggery, land grabbing, political violence etc.
“Beginning from Igarra Aba festival 2017 to NAFEST 2019, to the national sports festival 2020 we have attracted private expenditures into the local economy that runs into billions of Naira with implications for direct and indirect job creation etc. The Godwin Obaseki led government in Edo state is looking far beyond into the future for a great state that will build upon the efforts of our heroes past and will not be dragged into ephemeral politics that is not rooted into tangible benefits for the people of the state,” Akerele said.