Gov. Oborevwori’s aide woos indigenes in diaspora to invest in Delta
Dr Victory Odize, Senior Special Assistant to Gov. Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta on Diaspora Affairs (Special Duties) has urged international organisations and state indigenes in the diaspora to invest in the state.
Odize made the call while briefing newsmen on Tuesday in Asaba, the state capital.
He said that the call has become necessary to enable them tap into the robust policies and programmes of the governor which has turned the state into investors heaven.
Odize said that his office was interfacing with organisations like the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), World Health Organisation (WHO), the World Bank among
others to partner with the state government in the areas of oil and gas, agriculture, Health, ICT, Real Estate, power and Energy, among others.
According to Odize, the interface is to enlighten them by creating awareness on the opportunities and to partner the state government under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement.
He said that efforts were geared towards building a robust state economy, create jobs and raise the people’s standards of living.
He said that his office was working to interface with the governor of state of Maryland, in the US to discuss areas of partnership, particularly in education exchange programmes.
According to him, Delta Government through the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC) has impacted the state of Maryland’s economy through sponsorship of scholarship awards.
“So, the interface with governor of Maryland is to ensure a contact with Gov. Oborevwori to see how both states can partner in the area of education.
” I was sponsored on scholarship to the University of Maryland, and many of us today have become professionals and I want to see if we can have that partnership in terms of exchange programmes.
“Besides, my office is working to see how we can explore available platforms to reach out to Delta indigene in the diaspora to bring back their expertise to develop our state by way of giving back to the people.”
He, however, appealed to the state government and the DESOPADEC to sustain the scholarship scheme to grow intellectuals but make provision by way of an agreement to make them return after training to build the state.
“This is an area we can explore and leverage on by awarding scholarships, but the beneficiaries must return to give back to the state by training its citizens.
Odize said that through his office and that of the office of Delta State Web Master, an online Scholarship for 107 Information Technology and other Certificate Courses for 1,000 Delta indigenes have been attracted from the UP Grade Era, in the US.
According to him, the scholarship is in line with his office drive to explore ways to support the state government in this era of Artificial Intelligence and ICT driven economy to enable the delivery of the state policies and programmes in line with the Gov. Oborevwori’s M.O.R.E Agenda.
