Owing to the run-away success of the Ossiomo Power Company, which operates a 95MW power generation and distribution facility in Edo State, the Managing Director of the Company, Dr. Uwa Igiehon, is set to headline the 2022 edition of the Alaghodaro Economic Summit in the state as the keynote speaker.

The summit, in its 6th edition, is organized by Alaghodaro Summit Ltd/GTE, a policy think-tank that rallies private investors in the state in shaping government policies, programmes and reforms aimed at making Edo the most investment-friendly sub-national in Nigeria.

This year’s edition of the summit is themed Edo’s transformation: partnerships, resilience, impacts and will run from Friday, November 11 to Sunday, November 13, 2022.

The event will commence with the Edo Summit by 9am on Friday at the New Festival Hall in Government House, Benin City, while a State Banquet will be held, same day, at the Edo Hotel Marquee by 6pm.

It also features a golf tournament on Saturday, November 12 by 7am as well as the launch of Digital Benin website at the Victor Uwaifo Creative Hub and Soundstage by 2pm, while a Thanksgiving Service will be held on Sunday, November 13.   

According to the Special Adviser to the Edo State Governor on Media Projects, Mr. Crusoe Osagie, “The 2022 edition of the Alaghodaro Summit promises to be a celebration of the success of the summit over the past five editions.

“The summit has attracted not less than $2bn worth of investment across different sectors of the state's economy. This is spread across agriculture, food processing, manufacturing, energy and petrochemicals, among others. The $500m Edo State Oil Palm Programme (ESOPP) is one of the star projects in the state coupled with the injection of about $250m by Saro Africa Group of Companies, among others.”

Osagie said Igiehon has garnered experience as a first-mover investor in the state, taking the risk to build the Ossiomo Power plant after the signing of a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with the state government.

“He has built Ossiomo Power Company from initial 50MW to 95MW, with the facility providing electricity to government establishments, streetlights and industrial clusters in the state.

“He has also gained valuable experience in mobilizing local contractors to build a gas processing plant, which services the power plant sited in Ologbo community. Upon scaling various regulatory hurdles and surmounting numerous challenges, he remains one of the most enthusiastic investors in Edo State, chiefly because his company is critical to powering the industrial activities taking shape in Edo State today.”

Dignitaries expected at the summit include Chairman of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote; Chairman of Heirs Holdings, Tony Elumelu and Chairman of Caverton Offshore Support Group Plc, Dr. Aderemi Makanjuola.

Others are the Founder of Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc, Dr. Atedo Peterside; Founder, Silverbird Group, Ben Murray-Bruce; Founder of Persianas Nigeria Limited, Tayo Amusan and the Managing Director, Saro International, Dr. Rasheed Sarumi, among many others.