Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia
Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State has urged Ndigbo to start bringing their investents home, saying that the enabling environment in the Southeast zone is conducive enough for businesses to blossom.
He made the call at the leadership colloquium organised to mark his 58th birthday anniversary at his Umuobiakwa country home, Obingwa local government, following concern that Ndigbo prefer to invest outside the Southeast region.
Ikpeazu said that with the inherent potentials of Enyimba Economic City (EEC) which would soon be fully realised and Geometric Power project already operational, the twin effects of the two projects would drive economic renaissance of Southeast.
The colloquium which has the theme, “Socio-economic future of Ndigb: Setting the agenda” was aimed at generating practicable ideas that could be implemented to spur Ndigbo “to think home” and develop the economy of their home region.
In his remarks, the chairman of the occasion, Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa lauded Governor Ikpeazu for providing strategic leadership by laying a foundation for Abia’s ecomomic growth.
“Leadership is about laying foundation for future growth. Strategic leadership is critical,” he said, adding that there should be free flow of capital and competitive environment in order to grow the economy.
The Ceo of Geometric Power, Prof Barth Nnaji, said; “it is possible to have rapid economic growth” in the Southeast zone, noting that “Abia can take the stage in the economic miracle waiting to happen”.
Nnaji, who was a minister of power in the Goodluck Jonathan administration, said that with the Enyimba Economic City project and Geometric Power on hand to guarantee uninterrupted electricity, the Southeast would eventually become “the most diversified region in Africa”.
