The Edo State government, through the Edo State Investment Promotion Office (ESIPO) and the private sector, on Friday, convened a strategic planning session to set the Business Enabling Reforms Action Plan (BERAP) for 2025.

The event, held at the Edo State One-Stop-Investment Center, brought together representatives from government agencies, private sector organisations, and industry associations including the Benin Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (BENCCIMA); Edo State Exporters Cluster; National Association of Small Scale Industrialists (NASSI); LAPO Microfinance Bank; OPGAN; Edo State Footwear Practitioners; and the Edo State Cooperative Farmers Agency, among others.

The session focused on identifying key areas for improvement in the state’s business environment, including security, electricity, job creation, infrastructure, market access, and communications.

Participants engaged in breakout sessions to discuss specific challenges and opportunities within each of these areas.

In an opening remark, Mr. Kelvin Uwaibi, the Managing Director of the Edo State Investment Promotion Office (ESIPO), said the importance of setting clear targets and timelines for the BERAP initiatives.

He noted the need for improved communication channels between government and the private sector, as well as a more efficient and transparent regulatory framework.

He said, “What is the target for job creation, for example, between government and the private sector in the coming year? On electricity, what are the electricity requirements for businesses in Edo State at the moment? On communications, internally, we can communicate quickly as a government, but as a private sector, what are your channels of communication with the government, and what do you want to see?”

The participants enumerated a number of expectations of the BERAP plan for 2025, including actionable plans to assist entrepreneurs in the state in the areas of access to market, security, road accessibility, creation of business clusters and single facilities, updated data of businesses, product standardisation, tax harmonisation, among other things that will directly affect entrepreneurs positively in the state.

The Director General of BENCCIMA said he expects that all MDAs and businesses present at the technical session will review previous plans and highlight where successes were achieved and look at areas where improvement is needed.

The team from the Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) Secretariat, ESIPO, provided an overview of previous BERAP implementations and the lessons learned. The importance of continuous improvement of the BERAP process and the need to adapt to changing circumstances were stressed.

The BERAP session marks a significant step towards creating a more conducive business environment in Edo State. “By working together, the government and the private sector aim to attract investment, stimulate economic growth, and improve the lives of Edo State residents.”