By Alemma Aliu

Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State, yesterday, said the ongoing National Festival for Arts and Culture, tagged NAFEST 2019, was part of his administration’s efforts at opening the state for businesses and employment opportunities for young people.

Governor Godwin Obaseki and other delegates at the Opening Ceremony of NAFEST’19

Chief of Staff, CoS, to the governor, Taiwo Akerele, in chat with journalists on the sidelines in the ongoing NAFEST festival said the National Sports Festival, which will also be hosted by the state next year, was an avenue created to boost the socio-economic life of the state.

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He said: “Edo State is using the National Festival for Arts and Culture to send a very positive signal to the world that we are ready for business. We are investing in 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 and political violence.

“Beginning from the 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.

“The 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 in tangible benefits for the people of the state.”

Meanwhile, Director General, Ekiti State Council of Arts, Wale Ojo-Lanre, has called on the Federal Government to take tourism as a special project in order to enhance its revenue generating prospects.

Vanguard