The Edo Modular Refinery, CCETC-Ossiomo Power Plant and the Edo Production Centre and other projects geared at opening up Edo’s industrial sector would be the focal point of the 2021 Alaghodaro Summit, as leading manufacturers, business owners and industry stakeholders meet to explore opportunities in the South-South state.

Chairman, Marketing and Branding Sub-Committee of the event, Crusoe Osagie, told reporters in Benin City that the Governor Godwin Obaseki administration has continued to support the manufacturing and industrial sector through the provision of the right incentives to drive productivity.

He said: “These incentives, as well as reforms and projects like the Edo Modular Refinery, the CCETC-Ossiomo Power Plant and the Edo Production Centre, among others, to open up the space for private investment in the manufacturing sector, will be brought to the fore at the Alaghodaro Summit 2021.

“The summit will serve as a platform to bring together local and international manufacturers, as well as other industry leaders to review and explore opportunities in the sector.”

The summit, in its fifth edition, is held between November 12 and 14, with the theme, “Edo of Our Dreams: Building a Sustainable Future.”

Osagie continued: “The Alaghodaro Summit, over the years, has created avenues for more investors to come into the state to tap from the state’s rich investment opportunities, and this year is no exception.

“With the expanded CCETC-Ossiomo Independent Power Plant that has now opened up the electricity market in Edo State to drive industrial growth and attract private investors, and the 1000bpd Edo modular refinery, which is now ready for production, the state is even more positioned to becoming a business destination haven.”

“Also, in the Edo Production Centre, which is now being expanded to the three senatorial districts in the state, we have ensured the provision of a conducive environment for production, with electricity, water, security and other basic infrastructure. This we did to drive industrial development, provide job opportunities for youths and create wealth for our people.

“We believe that this year’s Alaghodaro will be even more exciting, as we expect the convergence of local and international manufacturers and other industry stakeholders who are eager to leverage these opportunities created by the Obaseki-led state government,” he added.