Greg Anyaegbudike
The Chairman of Oji River Local Government Area, Mr Greg Anyaegbudike, said that the major achievement of the “Oji River Economic and Development Summit” was the setting up of an investment office.
Anyaegbudike said this on Thursday in Enugu while briefing journalists on the major wins and take aways from the first ever summit, which attracted illustrious sons and daughters of the council area, to facilitate the council rapid socioeconomic development.
He said: “I want to tell you that the summit was not another talk shop. Already, we have set up an Investment Office, which will be headed by Mr Donald Madueke, who has been into investment and trade for a long time now.
“The duties of the Investment Office include among other things: to follow up on the outcomes of the summit, engage with investors, industry leaders and entrepreneurs. And let everyone know that Oji River is open for business. Come, invest and do business.”
The council boss noted that since his assumption of office, he had been addressing key priority areas, such as security, urban renewal and development, infrastructure, bureaucracy and social investments within the council area.
He said, “We are doing everything possible to ensure all necessary protocols and bureaucracy needed for a business to be set up in Oji River council area are there. We are not just telling the investors to come and invest, instead we will go with them.
“Every bottleneck they will encounter, will be taken care of. Please, come and invest in Oji River. As part of our investment drive, we are planning to remodel four major markets in Oji River Local Government Area – The markets include: Oji Urban Market, Timber Market Oji Urban, Ozudaa Market in Achị, and Nkwo Inyi Market.
“These markets have continued to be the economic mainstay of Oji River, and this remodeling we hope will take them to another level. We are also striving to facilitate partnerships, because we know that some other persons are working towards developing some of these markets. Oji River is not just ready for investors, but ready to collaborate with them at every stage.”
Anyaegbudike also said that the council is “blessed and endowed’ with numerous resources such as gas deposit, coal deposits, over 25 tourist sites, vast land for industrialidation and housing, potable water, arable-cum-vast land for commercial/mechanised
agriculture among others.
“However, human resources are our greatest asset in Oji River as we have a vast educated and skilled population, who are hospitable and have a peaceful disposition to investors, tourists, and visitors,” he said.
The council boss revealed that on January 11, 2025, Gov. Peter Mbah, graciously declared the whole of Oji River Local Government Area, an urban centre, adding: “We are grateful for this new status of the council area.”
“Today, in Oji River, we are not thinking rural, we are thinking urban, and that was the reason for the first-ever summit. Oji River is like the epicentre of the Southeast region of Nigeria, and this is one of the driving forces for us,” he said.
The chairman also recalled that on Jan. 5, 2025, the council unveiled the Oji River Urban Master Plan, adding: “The Master Plan presents a comprehensive framework designed to improve transformative growth, protecting the environment and fostering sustainable economic development.”
He noted that with these steps, Oji River Council Area is setting itself up for sustainable growth, improved quality of life, and a greater future for all its residents and investors.
Anyaegbudike said, “We are laying a strong foundation that will move Oji River from where it is to where it ought to be, making it a hub for sustainable economic activities and safe living. When I was elected the Chairman of Oji River Local Government Council, I did not just become the chairman for the sake of it, I came with a vision.
“A vision to move Oji River from being a ‘junction town’ to a destination for business, investment, tourism, and safe living.”
Prominent personalities that attended the summit included Gov. Mbah represented by the Commissioner for Trade, Investment and Industry, Mrs Adaora Chukwu, and Dr. Sam Ogbu-Nwobodo, Chief Executive Officer, Enugu State Investment Development Authority.
Others are Barr. Patrick Okorie, Enugu State Commissioner for Lands and Urban Development; Dr. Magnus Chukwuekezie, Regional Manager, Keystone Bank; Rt. Hon. Toby Okechukwu, Executive Director, Projects, South-East Development Commission and Mr Chijioke Okonkwo, Chief Executive Officer, Enugu State Electricity Regulatory Commission (EERC).
The rest are Engr. Magaji Muazu, Shell/DFID Consultant – Technical Adviser – Gas to Power, Presidential Task Force on Power, Nigeria; Chief VinMartin Ilo, Chief Executive Officer, Signature TV; and Dame Ugochi Madueke, Enugu State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism.
