The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has said the state government will partner indigenous horticulturists in the state on the state’s greening project, in line with the Making Edo Great Again (MEGA) Agenda.
Obaseki disclosed this during a dialogue with the state chapter of Nigeria Institute of Landscape Horticulturists, who were on a courtesy visit at the Government House, Benin City.
The horticulturists were led on the visit by the Edo State Chairman, Uwadiamen Iyamuosa and Secretary, Akintoye Temitope.
Obaseki said, “We are launching a major initiative to grow and green our environment. We want to take advantage of our location to put things in proper perspective. We have a clear plan for the people and we are sensitive to talk about it and how to execute these plans.
“We would like to work with you to establish massive nursery banks from which you are going to get your ornamental flowers. We have no doubt of the capacity and knowledge of your body in Edo State.
“The reason I have to meet with you is to make you know that we have a law or are in the process of implementing it and it is part of our strategic decision to renew the beauty of our state.”
The governor continued: “We have some designs of public places that we have to beautify to best standards so that we would need the services of a botanical department of a university for us to think through the species of indigenous plants that we need to propagate and do more research on.”
“We are also working hard to see how to clear up our streets and beautify them as we have decided to clean and green our cities.”
Speaking on the state’s master plan and the need for residents to support the government on its realization, Obaseki added, “We currently have a planning exercise going on in the state as we want to leave behind a 30-year master plan and a regional plan to serve as a compass for administrations for the growth and development of the state.
“We have designed a cultural district and designed parts of the cities, walkway and roads and are putting other things into perspective on how we want our cities to be or look like.
“We would like to have a workshop to begin to publicize and sensitize our people on the need for a green state and create an ecosystem of hundreds of young men and women to support this new direction that we are going. We will put in place regulations to make sure that we maintain the efforts we have achieved.
“In doing so, we must make sure we have people who understand what to do, how to do it and understand the investment in this sector.”
In his response, the secretary of the institute noted, “We have professionals who are part of the beautification project in most states of the country, including Abuja and we promise to bring that dexterity to the state. Moreover, no other administration has ever engaged us as a body in any major project in the state. This is a first and we promise to deliver to the utmost best.”
