From Moshood Karim
In Edo South Senatorial District, development is no longer a campaign promise, it is increasingly a lived reality, driven by a wave of grassroots-focused interventions led by Senator Neda Imasuen, whose projects are quietly reshaping lives from remote rural communities to urban centres.
From free medical outreaches to rural electrification, farm empowerment to youth-focused sports development, Imasuen’s footprint is becoming difficult to ignore in a district long burdened by infrastructure gaps, fragile healthcare access and youth unemployment.
Perhaps the most visible of these strides is the provision of free medical services to underserved communities. Through periodic medical outreaches, hundreds of residents have received consultations, essential drugs and basic treatments at no cost, a lifeline in rural settlements where hospitals are distant and private care is unaffordable.
Complementing this is the training of traditional birth attendants, an intervention aimed at reducing maternal and infant mortality in hard-to-reach areas. By equipping local birth attendants with modern safety practices, hygienic delivery techniques and early danger-sign recognition, the programme bridges the gap between tradition and modern healthcare.
For many women, it means safer births and for many families, fewer tragedies.
Agriculture remains the backbone of Edo South’s rural economy, yet for years, poor road networks have trapped farmers in cycles of post-harvest losses and exploitation. Imasuen’s rural road construction and rehabilitation projects are changing that narrative.
By opening up access roads linking farming communities to major markets, the projects have cut down travel time, reduced the cost of transportation and improved farmers’ ability to sell their produce at fairer prices.
What used to rot in distant farms now reaches markets faster, fresher and with greater economic value.
Education has also received a deliberate push. Across several communities, writing materials and learning supplies have been distributed to primary school pupils, easing the burden on parents and improving classroom participation.
Beyond basic supplies, the senator has supported students through scholarships and the procurement of JAMB forms for indigent candidates, removing a major financial barrier to tertiary education.
For many young people, this support has turned distant dreams of university or polytechnic education into practical, achievable goals.
The recently concluded “Comprehending Gen Z + Gen Alpha: My Body and Boundaries 2.0” programme, championed by Senator Neda Imasuen, empowered young people with vital knowledge about body awareness, personal safety and healthy boundaries.
Targeted at Generation Z and Generation Alpha, the initiative used interactive sessions, quizzes, drama, spoken word, music and motivational talks to deliver engaging lessons on self-respect, consent and decision-making.
The programme aimed to build confidently informed youths and promote a safer, more respectful and inclusive Edo South.
In communities long trapped in darkness, the provision of electrical transformers has brought new life. Through transformer installations and support for rural electrification, several settlements have been connected or reconnected to stable power supply.
This has extended trading hours, boosted small businesses, and improved security at night and enhanced the overall quality of life in beneficiary communities.
Electricity, in this context, is not just power — it is opportunity.
Recognising the central role of agriculture, Imasuen has also embarked on farmers’ empowerment programmes, distributing farm implements, seedlings and other vital agricultural inputs.
These interventions have helped small-scale farmers increase productivity, expand cultivation and improve food security, while also reducing dependence on crude manual farming methods.
The impact is seen in fuller barns, improved yields and greater resilience among farming households.
One of the boldest and most forward-looking initiatives is the organisation of the Benin Unity Cup football tournament, designed to empower young people, promote unity and expose football talents for opportunities beyond Nigeria.
By creating a competitive platform that attracts scouts and fosters discipline, teamwork, and visibility, the tournament is quickly becoming a launchpad for young footballers aspiring to professional careers both at home and abroad.
In a district battling youth restiveness and job scarcity, sport has become a tool for hope, structure and ambition.
While many political projects are loudly announced but rarely completed, the defining feature of Imasuen’s interventions is their practical, community-level impact. Rather than headline-chasing megaprojects, his approach has focused on everyday necessities — health, roads, education, power, food and youth engagement.
In Edo South today, the measure of leadership is no longer found only in speeches, but in clinics that now open their doors for free, classrooms stocked with new writing materials, farmlands yielding more produce, communities lit by new transformers and football pitches where new dreams are taking shape.
Moshood Karim is the Media Aide to Senator Neda Imasuen
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