Osinbajo Pledges FG’s Support for Aba

Tobi Soniyi in Abuja

The Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, has commended what he described as “smart business approach to governance” of the Governor of Abia State, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu.

Osinbajo said this when Ikpeazu led a delegation of some top functionaries of Abia State Government and top Aba industrialists to a meeting with Acting President in Abuja tuesday.

According to a press statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr. Enyinnaya Appolos, the meeting which held at the acting president’s office in Aso Rock Villa Abuja, was a follow up meeting for the economic development of the state, especially as it concerned the support and growth of Small Scale and Medium Enterprise (MSME) in Aba.

Osinbajo was in Aba recently when he launched the MSME clinic.
While commending Ikpeazu’s smart business approach to governance, Osinbajo said “Aba is very strategic and important to the country in terms of manufacturing and production.”
According to him, Nigeria has no business with China if all hands are on deck to develop Aba as a major industrial base.

He also commended Ikpeazu’ commitment to made-in-Aba products.
He said the made-in-Aba campaign has raised the tempo in demand for Aba made goods, even as he said that the quality of products made in Aba had improved.

Osibanjo also said that the federal government had taken cognizance of Aba and would continue to focus on it.
He directed all the heads of federal government’s agencies to work with the Abia State Government and the business community to enhance the ease of doing business.

Osinbajo singled out the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAGDAC) and Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON) to ensure that Aba business community has no difficulty registering its products.

While making his presentation, Ikpeazu, who presented an MSME development plan for Aba industrial zone, thanked the FG for partnering with the state to develop the economy of Abia State, especially Aba.
Ikpeazu said Aba had the capacity and potential to make Nigeria, truly the ‘giant of Africa.’

He said: “If Aba is giving the needed and adequate attention, which include infrastructural and human capacity development, it has the potential and capacity as the SME capital of Nigeria, to position Nigeria as truly the giant of Africa.

“Out government is doing all we can do ensure the infrastructural turnaround of Aba, but we can’t do it alone, that is why we are thankful to the federal government for showing very strong interest in partnering with us to development Aba as the SME capital of our dear country-Nigeria.”

Also speaking, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Okey Enelamah, ‎said the development of Aba industrial zone was part of the 2017 budget of the federal government.
He said the project would soon come on stream.

Others who attended the meeting are the Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Hajia Aisha Abubakar, the Acting Managing Diretor of Bank of Industries (BoI) Acting DG, of NAFDAC, Director General of SON, the Registrar General CAC, and DG NEPC.