The Edo State House of Assembly has approved a N100 billion loan request by Governor Monday Okpebholo to accelerate the pace of infrastructure development across the state.
The legislative approval came during Tuesday’s plenary session following the presentation of a formal request by the Executive.
The letter, dated June 23, 2025, was addressed to the Speaker of the House, Hon. Blessing Agbebaku, and was signed by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Barr. Umar Musa Ikhilor.
It sought legislative endorsement for the state to secure the loan from First Bank of Nigeria Plc under a contractors’ finance facility.
Titled “Request for Legislative Approval of the Sum of N100 Billion from the First Bank of Nigeria Plc for the Operation of Contractors Finance Facility for the Development of Various Infrastructural Projects in Edo State,” the correspondence outlined the government’s intention to channel the funds into the execution and completion of critical infrastructural projects across the three senatorial districts of the state.
During deliberations at the committee of the whole, lawmakers took turns to express unanimous support for the facility.
Members highlighted the urgency of bridging infrastructure gaps, completing ongoing projects inherited from previous administrations, and initiating new ones that reflect the current government’s development priorities.
The House maintained that prompt access to such financing was crucial to addressing the state’s infrastructural needs, including roads, health centres, schools, housing, and water supply systems.
Some legislators noted that the state capital, Benin City, as well as towns such as Auchi, Uromi, Ekpoma, Iguobazuwa, and Irrua, would benefit from improved connectivity and social amenities once the projects are completed.
Others described the loan as a timely intervention in view of the rainy season, during which road rehabilitation and flood control initiatives became urgent.
The Speaker, Hon. Blessing Agbebaku, who presided over the plenary, commended the foresight of the executive in seeking to strengthen the state’s development framework through strategic borrowing. He reiterated that the House would continue to support initiatives that promote good governance and economic growth, while also insisting on transparency, fiscal discipline, and periodic oversight to ensure judicious use of the loan
Meanwhile, in a related legislative development, the House passed the bill for a law to establish the St. Matthew Royal College of Nursing Science in Edenu-Irrua.
The institution is expected to train qualified nursing professionals to meet the state’s growing healthcare demands.
Lawmakers noted that the new nursing college would not only provide career opportunities for Edo youths but also strengthen primary and tertiary healthcare delivery in the central senatorial district and beyond.
