Governor Monday Okpebholo’s “SHINE” agenda is putting women and youths at the centre of Edo’s development. The state has allocated 35 % of cabinet positions to women and approved a ₦1 billion soft‑loan fund for market women, targeting over 54,000 women for entrepreneurial and skills development, including training in compressed natural gas vehicle conversion—a first‑of‑its‑kind programme in Nigeria.
On the youth front, the Edo Youth Impact Forum mobilised more than 1,500 participants and awarded a ₦10 million “Hack the Future” grant to seed youth‑led projects in agriculture, education and clean energy. Digital literacy drives and coding clubs are also rolling out, aiming to make every Edo youth digitally competent and job‑ready.
