Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki has urged top Japanese companies to take advantage of the state’s available resources for productive investment.

At a meeting with some representatives from Mitsubishi, Sojitz, Toyota, Sumitomo, Yamaha, Yokogawa, Panasonic and the Japanese Trade Organisation (JETRO), the governor urged them to plan potential investments in the state and assured them of availability of resources including labour.

Governor Obaseki said the state is safe for investors and their businesses and has good economic policies, three government-owned universities, two private universities, a college of medicine, an Institute of Management Technology and a polytechnic where middle-level labour could be trained.

He added that his administration has developed a database of unemployed young people in the state which the Japanese firms could tap into, adding that Edo State’s proximity to Lagos and Port Harcourt could also be utilised to develop a lucrative trade route.

The governor explained further that the northern part of the state is rich in solid minerals such as limestone for cement production and fertile soil for cocoa production, while the southern and central regions are suitable for maize, cassava, rubber and palm production.

He said all these complemented an onshore gas reserve located at Oben near Benin City, the state capital where some critical national assets such as power installation passed through the state.

Governor Obaseki added that Edo State would contribute additional 900 megawatts to the national grid through the 450mw Azura Power Plant and the 450mw National Integrated Power Plant (NIPP) project in the state capital. (Channels TV)