How Gov. Okpebholo has Made Edo Number 1 in logistics Performance --- By Eubaldus Enahoro

  

When  Comrade Sunny Osayande, MD/CEO, Big Joe Ventures Nigeria Limited,  a renowned Transport and Logistics company, publicly declares that, “in terms of logistics, Edo State is the most performing state,” it is not just corporate praise. It is market feedback. 

The Big Joe boss said Edo state is number one for logistics performance during the Edo Youth Impact Forum 2.0 held in Benin City. With that statement we should pause and ask: What is Edo doing right.

Edo sits at the center of Nigeria. From Benin, you can reach Lagos, Abuja, Asaba, Onitsha, and Port Harcourt on a day’s drive. For a logistics company, that means faster turnaround, lower fuel cost, and fewer broken goods. 

That geographic advantage only becomes useful when the roads and security allow it to work and the Big Joe MD believes that a lot can be done from Edo State today because of the transformation going on around the state by the state government

Since assuming the office, Senator Monday Okpebholo’s administration has made deliberate moves that directly affect logistics.

With the  ongoing dualisation of Ekpoma road, Benin -Sapele-Warri and other road construction projects across the state and fixing of street lights with Federal Government support  there would be lower vehicle maintenance and faster delivery.

The huge investments in security and effective Security collaborations have also translated to a  more stable operating environment,  which means trucks move at night and goods don’t get hijacked.

The ease of doing business in Edo  is pushed by the state government policies that ensure fewer illegal levies and harassment at motor parks and warehouses. These have encouraged private operators to expand.

Big Joe is one of Nigeria’s biggest indigenous logistics brands. They have data from thousands of trips. When they rank Edo above other states, it signals to investors, e-commerce firms, and manufacturers: “If you want to distribute efficiently in Nigeria, site your hub in Edo.”

That translates to jobs for drivers, loaders, warehouse staff, and Okada riders. It means more IGR for the state. It means rice farmers in Illushi and Uromi can get produce to market before it spoils and those sending items or making any delivery are sure of efficient and reliable services

We can now appreciate the passion and vision  of the Okpebholo administration to Sustain road maintenance especially Benin-Sapele-Warri, Benin-Ekpoma-Auchi-Okene - Abuja corridors and other network of roads across the state.

With the presence of several  logistics companies and their vehicles and motor bikes plying the nook and crannies of  Edo, the state is no doubt moving  from “transit” to “distribution hub”

The Big Joe MD and other panelist who were telling their story how they made it in their business didn’t say Edo is perfect. He said Edo is performing. That’s different. It means systems are working, and the private sector feels it.

For too long, Edo people have heard what is not working. Today, a major logistics player is telling us what is working. When logistics work, everything else works - food prices drop, businesses grow, and youths get jobs.

Edo is not just a “pass-through” state anymore. We are becoming Nigeria’s distribution capital. And if a key player in the sector says so, the rest of Nigeria should be listening.

  The  endorsement Proves Okpebholo is fixing Edo’s economy  and that is not politics. That is a performance. And performance is exactly what Senator Monday Okpebholo promised Edo people.

If the Big Joe MD was bold enough to rank Edo No.1 ahead of other states, during the panelist session of the youth forum with the theme, "Ideas, Capital and Impact" then it means something fundamental has changed in our state.

In the past, logistics operators complained of harassment, illegal levies, and insecurity on highways and these and other reasons made  investors run away.

Gov Okpebholo came in and restored order. His government is working with security agencies to secure major corridors. He is also clamping down on illegal taxation that was killing small transport businesses. 

The result? Big Joe and other transport and logistics companies can now plan, expand, and hire more Edo youths.

When the Big Joe MD says Edo is “most performing in terms of logistics and that youths should be consistent and determined to succeed in business, what he was really saying is: “If you want to move goods in Nigeria, cite your warehouse  and business in Edo.”

This endorsement validates what we already know, Senator Monday Okpebholo is not playing politics. He is fixing foundations, creating an enabling environment. That is governance, not noise.

The endorsement is a challenge and a charge. A challenge to other states to catch up. A charge to us in Edo not to go back to the days of decay. Gov Okpebholo has shown that with the right leadership, Edo can lead again.

Because when logistics work, Edo works. When Edo works, Nigeria moves. Senator Monday Okpebholo is delivering. And even the private sector can see it.

Eubaldus Enahoro was former Editor of the Nigerian Observer Newspaper