Ministry of Information and Strategy

10/09/2026

24/08/2026

PRESS STATEMENT.

EDO STATE ON THE ROAD TO GOOD ROADS.

It has become necessary to let the good people of Edo State know that Governor Senator Monday Okpebholo and his team are working night and day to deliver all the dividends of democracy which he earlier promised, including building cosmopolitan infrastructure. Regarding the roads linking Edo state from the various entry points, we have read some commentaries from members of the public, including those who by their profession, should know what obtains on road construction, but have chosen to be uncharitable. We want all concerned to know that all roads leading to Edo state, have all been awarded to contractors for repairs. The delay in fixing them has been due to the incessant rainfall that invalidated the weather forecast. The repair works cannot progress in the rain. For example, the Benin-Ore road which is undergoing repairs, is presently halted because of the heavy rainfalls.

Ditto for the Benin- Agbor road, which is also undergoing serious reconstruction, to birth a 10-lane road under a concensionaire arrangement. Work has since begun on all these roads, but the rains have made rapid progress formidable in recent times. The Benin-Warri road suffers similar fate. It is instructive to note that all the roads leading in and out of Edo state from the different locations, have all been awarded. On assumption of office, Senator Monday Okpebholo as Governor of Edo state, announced that his first major intervention would be in the area of roads; which were obviously recklessly abandoned by his predecessor. The Benin-Irrua road that was also abandoned was immediately restored for public use, through remediation works, within two months. The Governor has invested heavily on other link roads also, across the state; and built a flyover at the Ramat Park end of the Benin-Agbor road. Inasmuch as impediments remain, expedited action is impeded.

To all the members of the public, to our Edo sons and daughters, and all others who ply these roads, we implore you to bear with us for now, as we look forward to when the rains will subside, to enable us immediately re-embark on the road works to ease mobility across the state. Due to the peculiar nature of road construction in all climes, including our dear state, our hands are tied; please bear with us.
We share in the pains of our people and are deeply concerned by the reality of the present state of our roads. Once the rains slow down, we will speed up the works on the affected roads to remedy the situation. We count on your understanding and cooperation, as we remain committed to rebuilding critical infrastructure across the state and delivering all the other dividends of democracy.
Long live the good people of Edo state.

PRINCE KASSIM AFEGBUA, Mnipr.
HONOURABLE COMMISSIONER FOR INFORMATION AND STRATEGY.

13/08/2026

Afegbua Charges PROs , Information officers on Effective Press Writing, Strategic Communication

By Omoruyi Patricia Osayomore and Rukayat Oshomah

The Edo State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Prince Kassim Afegbua, has called on Public Relations Officers (PROs) and Information officers across the state to understand the dynamics of effective press writing, urging them to prioritise clarity, precision and directness in communicating government policies and programmes.

Prince Afegbua made the call during a training for PROs at the John Odigie Oyegun Public Service Academy in Benin City, where he urged officers to avoid ambiguous press releases, and stressed that the first principle of effective press writing is clarity and going straight to the point. “Don’t write a press statement like you are writing an essay,” he cautioned.

The Commissioner advised PROs to exercise caution in the use of Artificial Intelligence for official press writing, emphasising the importance of originality, authenticity and the human element in professional communication. He also admonished PROs to embrace teamwork and maintain effective interaction and collaboration with one another, stressing the importance of collective efforts and professional synergy in achieving effective communication.
On the Shine Agenda of the administration of the Governor, Sen. Monday Okpebholo, the Commissioner reiterated that the Governor is working, and disclosed that more impactful projects were ongoing, which would be unveiled from 19th August, 2026, as part of efforts to further communicate the administration’s programmes and achievements.

The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Strategy, Dr. Desmond Agbama, spoke extensively on strategic communication, noting that PROs are expected to be result-oriented professionals. He stated that the absence of strategic communication could result in crisis, misconception and misunderstanding, explaining that strategic communication is a carefully planned approach to passing information to a defined audience.

According to Dr. Agbama, strategic communication is also a critical component of crisis management, particularly in responding to situations ranging from natural disasters to political and economic instability. He noted that strategic communication is essential to earning the trust of the people and serves as an important tool for addressing challenges such as misinformation and disinformation.
Dr. Agbama cited authorities’ conceptualisation of strategic communication, which views communication as extending beyond media relations to encompass strategic planning, reputation management and continuous engagement aimed at building long-term relationships with citizens and interest groups.
Highlighting the role of Public Relations in governance, Dr. Agbama identified enhancing public trust and managing public perception through strategic communication as key responsibilities of the profession. He also noted that Public Relations is a subset of strategic communication.

A guest speaker and Head of the Department of Public Relations, University of Benin, Prof. Comfort Ene Obaje, in her presentation on “Strategic Media Relations, Press Writing and Digital Communication,” analysed the various roles of a PRO, describing officers as the critical bridge between government, the media and the governed. She admonished PROs to apply strategic media relations in the discharge of their duties by writing clear and newsworthy press materials, leveraging digital platforms ethically, managing misinformation and crisis situations, integrating traditional and digital communication and applying practical Public Relations skills in their official responsibilities.

Prof. Obaje stated that media relations is the deliberate effort by an organisation to establish and maintain mutually beneficial relationships with journalists and media organisations for accurate and balanced dissemination of information. She further described PRO as a lens, explaining that a lens helps people see things clearly. Also as a gateway through which information passes between an institution and the media, underscoring the strategic responsibility attached to the profession.

Another guest speaker and a retired NAFDAC Director of Public Affairs, Adjunct Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Communication, University of Abuja and Chairman of Novel Communication Limited Prof. Abubakar Jimoh, who spoke on “The Core Triad of Crisis, Reputation and Ethical Governance,” stated that crises are not predicted, which is why they are referred to as crises. He emphasised the need for preparedness and timely response, noting that crises require emergency measures and strategic communication approaches to effectively manage their impact.
Prof. Jimoh underscored the importance of reputation management and ethical communication in governance, particularly in protecting institutional credibility, sustaining public confidence and ensuring responsible engagement with stakeholders.

Other dignitaries present at the training included the Director of Orientation Department, Mrs. Rose Imonikhe; the Director of Publication and Documentation, Mr. Matthew Okunsebor; the Director, Information, Mrs. Nwine Nekpen Maureen; the Director of Shared Services, Mrs. Joy Oghogho Omosigho, the Director of Finance and Accounts, Mrs. Grace Ogbeide, among others.

10/08/2026

Information Commissioner Faults Use of 2026 pSPI to Assess Okpebholo Administration

By Maureen Nwine

The Edo State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Prince Kassim Afegbua has challenged attempts to use the 2026 Phillips Consulting States Performance Index (pSPI) as a definitive measure of the performance of the administration of Governor Monday Okpebholo, arguing that the assessment largely reflects conditions inherited from previous administrations.

The Commissioner stated that while the government welcomed independent assessments of governance, such reports must be interpreted within their methodology and assessment periods.

According to him, Governor Okpebholo assumed office on November 12, 2024, when most of the period covered by the 2026 assessment had already elapsed. He therefore argued that several indicators used in the ranking, including internally generated revenue, debt sustainability, fiscal management, audited accounts and institutional performance, were outcomes of policies and decisions made before the present administration.

Afegbua said it was therefore misleading to attribute such historical outcomes entirely to an administration that had only recently assumed office during the period under review.

He noted that the Okpebholo administration had since its inauguration introduced a number of interventions aimed at changing the state’s development trajectory. These include strengthening revenue administration, constructing and rehabilitating roads, regularising over 5,000 teachers, renovating more than 80 public schools and upgrading over 70 primary healthcare centres.

Other interventions, he said, include the recruitment of additional health personnel, deployment of about 2,500 Security Corps personnel and 500 Forest Guards, as well as ongoing urban renewal, market reconstruction, public service reforms and youth development initiatives.

The commissioner said future editions of the performance index would provide a more accurate assessment of the administration, as they would increasingly reflect policies and programmes initiated and implemented under Governor Okpebholo.

“Governance should be judged not merely by inherited circumstances but by the vision, leadership and measurable progress achieved in transforming them,” Afegbua said.

He reaffirmed the state government’s openness to independent assessments, while urging analysts and the public to consider the chronology and methodology of such assessments when evaluating government performance.