- to upgrade 12 med facilities, expand health insurance across state
- Nigerian start-ups ahead of Africa, rake in $1.37 billion in 2021
By Hillary Asemota
The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki has urged Nigerian youths to take advantage of the ongoing ICT/Information Technology revolution in the state.
The transforming revolution, he added is coming through a robust programme offered by the Edo Tech Park, to acquire technical skills in software engineering to so that youths especially from the state become world-class software developers.
This is coming to the fore even as the Nigerian start-ups are far ahead their African counterparts in technology innovation, grossing over $1.37 billion in 2021, according to a report authenticated by the Big Deal.
The Technical Assistant on Research and Development in the Ministry Dr. Femi Adeluyi, excitedly informed EXTRAORDINAIRENews.Com, that the Bill for Nigerian start-ups has been approved by the National Executive Council (NEC) following the presentation of a memo by the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Ibrahim Pantami.
According to him, the NSB is to provide a legal and institutional framework for the development of startups in the country, adding that when eventually passed into law, it will also provide an enabling environment for the establishment, development and operation of startups in Nigeria.
The governor made the call-in commemoration of the International Migrants Day, marked every December 18, by the United Nations (UN) and its sister agencies.
He said, “As part of our plans to end the scourge of illegal migration, we will continue to implement policies and reforms that would guarantee more economic opportunities for our youths, so they can realize their potentials and compete for top jobs as developers across the globe.”
On the theme of the 2021 International Migrants Day, ‘Harnessing the Potential of Human Mobility,’ Obaseki noted, “The state government will not relent in its drive to make Edo State a digital hub that will provide youths with highly sought-after skills and create opportunities for them to be employed and work from the state for companies located anywhere in the world.
“We have commenced the training of youths at the Edo Tech Park. Our plan is to train about 15,000 youths to become software engineers and equip them with the required skills to migrate legally to work in any part of the globe.”
He urged youths to also embrace opportunities in the agriculture value chain by deploying innovative approaches to create wealth, noting that “the state government is building a world-class college of agriculture in the state to assist youths take advantage of opportunities in the agricultural sector.”
Obaseki assured that his administration will collaborate with local and international partners to support youths to grow businesses in the state by creating the enabling environment for businesses to thrive and reducing investment risks.
Meanwhile, the Governor, has said his administration plans to upgrade 12 medical facilities in the state and expand the health insurance scheme to rural and hard-to-reach communities.
Obaseki, who spoke to journalists in Benin City, said his government is committed to sustaining investment in the healthcare sector, ensuring quality, efficient and affordable health services to Edo people.
Noting that the government will, in 2022, consolidate on the gains made on strengthening system-wide reforms in the state’s health sector and implement a sustainable healthcare financing mechanism in the state, the governor said his administration will “purchase new medical equipment, upgrade of 12 medical facilities, improve revenue collection mechanism, and expand primary healthcare and health insurance scheme to rural and hard-to-reach communities.”
Obaseki noted that the Edo Health Insurance Commission has accredited over 30 healthcare facilities, both public and private hospitals and 146 primary healthcare centres under the Basic Health Care Provision Fund to provide health care for the vulnerable across various communities in the State.
Stating that the government is committed to ensuring that every Edo citizen has access to quality healthcare without having to worry about the financial burden, the governor added that health is a fundamental right.
According to him, “We are determined to achieve Universal Health Coverage in Edo, ensuring quality healthcare delivery that is accessible to all citizens. With the health insurance scheme now operational, we are building a superstructure to provide a strong capital base for the sustenance of the healthcare system, while providing our people with a more democratized system of accessing quality and affordable healthcare.”