Governor Monday Okpebholo’s London trip was billed as an investment mission. But what some of us watched from different social platforms and eye witnesses accounts looked more like a political rally.
Investment promotion demands data, not applause. Investors ask hard questions: Why Edo over Lagos, Ogun, or Delta States? What are the tax incentives? How fast are land titles processed? Is power reliable? Are roads motorable? What reforms has your government actually passed?
Those answers were largely missing. Instead, the room heard endorsements and 2027 rhetoric. That is a problem. Capital does not respond to campaign speeches. It responds to policy consistency, legal certainty, and bankable projects.
The non appearance or silence of key commissioners was even more telling. An investment mission should feature the agriculture, mining, tech, and health leads presenting sector deals, timelines, and incentives. Their absence suggested there was no coordinated pitch to sell or investment strategy.
Edos in diaspora are ready. They have money and emotional ties. But sentiment alone does not build factories. Transparent institutions, predictable policies, and home-grown confidence do.
Governor Okpebholo must now publish a post-mission report: who was met, what was offered, what commitments were secured, and implementation timelines. Taxpayers funded this trip and deserve an account.
Perception matters. If London meetings is meant to advanced a presidential ambition more than Edo’s economy, then the mission failed its stated purpose.
Edo does not need headlines. It needs signed deals, jobs, and investment. Sell Edo, not politics. Edo’s diaspora can fund factories, not rallies.
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bcradle@ymail.com