Governor Alex Otti Saturday, officially performed the groundbreaking for the first Abia Industrial Innovation Park (AIIP) at Owaza in Ukwa west LGA, stating that the project marks the beginning of industrial revolution in the state.
Otti, who noted that the project will unlock the economic potentials of Ukwa and Abia in general, create jobs for teeming Abians with other attendant multiplier benefits, explained that the project promises to provide over ten thousand direct and indirect jobs to Abians.
The governor, who titled his speech “maximizing opportunities through partnership” said the project was conceived to serve as a launch pad for Abia economic rejuvenation, leveraging the many advantages of the area, including oil and gas, nearness to Aba and port Harcourt cities, abundance of skilled labour and a secure environment for smooth and uninterrupted production and other industrial activities.
He appreciated the host communities and villages who see great value in the project and gave their land in support of the project, assuring that government would keep to its part of the bargain and would reap the fruit of their labour and will also work with experts and industry regulators to set up clear guidelines that will drastically minimise damages to the environment.
Gov. Otti said his vision is clear and direct to responsibly harness the abundant oil and gas reserves within Ukwa area for the economic development of communities within the state and the regions connected to the project location, while he further assured investors of a conducive business environment, steady power supply, nearness to raw materials, and large population of skilled and unskilled labour.
In addition, Otti said the idea behind the project is to build a connected system that offers the advantage of economies of scale to businesses that would be sited alone the area which will taking advantage of a systematic network that offers endless enterprise opportunities, residential comfort, robust infrastructure, and outlets for leisure among other benefits that can not be obtained in any other location in west Africa.
In the spirit of the new Abia, he also said “all promises would be delivered and no party shall be short – changed as government will create the appropriate regulatory frameworks that will protect the interest of every stakeholder”, adding that his government will set up structures that would tap into the major raw materials and human resources within the state, including agro-processing hubs that will focus on what various localities have comparative advantage of.
Speaking, the Deputy Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, who was at the occasion, emphasized that the AIIP project “embodies the essence of progress, innovation, and economic development” adding that the project is a “transformative journey aimed at sustaining economic growth, generating employment opportunities, and positioning Abia State as a hub for innovation and industrialization” in the country.
Kalu pledged his commitment to collaborate with the state governor, regardless of political affiliations, to support the state’s economic growth efforts and as well, create a state that all its citizens can be proud of, assuring that the federal government would not abandon this project which is in line with its renewed hope agenda while pointing out that the federal government intends to partner the state to ensure the sustainability of industrialization initiatives such as the AIIP project which will positively impact the lives of Nigerians, starting from Abia State.
The federal lawmaker emphasized that the economic and trade policy reforms by the federal government are aimed at creating a favorable business environment, designed to stimulate investments and unlock the nation’s potential which he said aligns with the Otti -led Abia State government’s project.
“The 10th national assembly under the leadership of the speaker and myself as deputy speaker have been working tirelessly to augment these reforms with legislative actions that support economic growth and development.
“We understand that a condusive legislative framework is critical to the success of initiatives such as the AIIP. Our legislative agenda is centered around creating an environment that encourages innovation, entrepreneurship and sustainable development. We are actively working on bills and policies aimed at promoting SMEs and ease of doing business that attracting both local and foreign investments”, Kalu stated.
Rt Hon Benjamin Kalu while commending Governor Otti for his commitment to improving the lives of Abians, emphasized that Abia State’s industrialization is not just a dream but a well-thought-out strategy aligned with national goals of self-sufficiency and economic prosperity.
He noted that the partnership between federal and state governments and all stakeholders involved in the project is a testament to their collective commitment to progress.
Earlier, the CEO AIIP, Chinedu Onyeizu, said that the Industrial Park is “a strategic business environment for the State to build critical capacity in the areas of manufacturing, modular refineries, establishment of LPG and CNG plants”, and thanked Gov. Otti for keeping the Industrial Park on the priority list of his administration policy direction.
Abia, he said, has been waiting for such an opportunity to develop the entrepreneur spirit of the Aba man and explained that Industrial parks have been identified all over the world as key vehicle propelling economic growth and urged all to identify with the project.
In their separate remarks, the Representatives of Shell Petroleum, Mr Osagie Osumbo, Executive Director Total Energies,Mr Obi Imeremba and the Representative of Oil and Gas Free Trade Zone Mr. Morgan Umahi lauded Governor Otti for the laudable initiative aptly cited in a major hub for entrepreneurship and local manufacturing and added that the AIIP will be a melting point for industrialization and development of Abia state with its enormous potential.
They assured of their partnership with the Abia state government and offered support for the transformational project which they said would witness an influx of investors to the zone.
. TheWitness