Group photograph of ECCIMA officials and dignitaries cutting the Diamond Anniversary cake
By Tony Adibe
The Enugu State Governor, Dr. Peter Mbah, has assured investors of the conducive environment for business and high returns on investment in the state. Governor Mbah explained that with the state’s deliberate policies at de-risking investment flow and enhancing ease of doing business, Enugu State remained the best and most attractive state to invest in.
Governor Mbah, who disclosed this, in Enugu during the 60th anniversary of Enugu Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ECCIMA), said his administration was poised to continue to forge workable and progressive partnership with the association made up of captains of industry, manufacturers, business moguls and investors.
Congratulating ECCIMA for driving the state’s economic expansion, Dr. Mbah attributed the successes recorded in it’s 60 years of existence to the good foundation laid by its founding fathers, stressing that his administration recognised the positive impacts of the investors on the economy.
“I would like to acknowledge all businesses, captains of industry, and investors represented here today. We recognize your active participation in fostering the growth of businesses within the State. Permit me to state that you are integral to the building of our state’s economy,” said the Governor.
Represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Professor Chidiebere Onyia, Governor Mbah said the State Government was focused on investment, expanding the state’s economic base and creating the right environment for more investors to come in.
He said: “Our vision is to grow Enugu’s economy from a GDP of N4.4bn to N30bn within 4-8 years and to reduce the poverty headcount to zero. These form the policy thrust of our government and underpin our policy development. ECCIMA is pivotal to the achievement of this goal by contributing to economic and business activities while also providing employment to many.
“Our administration is actively engaging with investors and development partners to drive investment within the State. Just a few weeks into our administration, we held an investment roundtable and few days ago, an investors network was held here in Enugu. While we trudge on with these initiatives, we are well aware of the importance of driving domestic investment and local business growth.
“As a result, we have focused on a robust strategy to improve key drivers of growth for our domestic businesses. This covers improvement of infrastructure and enabling the business environment.”
Governor Mbah said they were very focused on the partnership they had seen in ECCIMA. He added that the state government was focused on creating an enabling environment for businesses, through infrastructural development, public private partnership and harmonization of taxes, for businesses to thrive in the state, using e-governance model to block leakages.
“In addressing issues of multiple taxation, the State revenue administration system is evolving to streamline processes. A revenue harmonization committee has been established to review and harmonize tax collections. The outcome of this exercise would be sector-based, harmonized demand notices, and published fee schedules. Additionally, collections have been digitized to minimize the occurrence of multiple charges and loss of revenue,” he further disclosed.
He said power supply has been a major concern to Enugu State and that the state was the first state in the country to enact an electricity law, maintaining that Enugu State Electricity Regulatory Commission would take full control of power regulation in the state to enhance its target generation of 700 megawatts for industrial uses.
He said the state government had taken steps to create a friendly environment to attract investors to the state including the daily provision of 120 millions litres of water, adding that it’s stepping up efforts to make the state one of the top 3 states in Nigeria om ease of doing business.
The governor also advised ECCIMA to assist the state government to grow the state’s economy, adding: “If we plan to run a business and grow our economy, it is impossible without the business community. We don’t know everything. We are willing to work with people who had gone that part”.
In his address, the President of ECCIMA, Jasper Nduagwuike said ECCIMA was founded by Dr. Nlogha Okeke of blessed memory with successors sustaining the dreams of the founding fathers.
“The Chamber movement is not profit making, but is powered by the selfless commitment of people who want to partner with the government to ensure the ease of doing business so that appropriate economic benefits can accrue to the people and government of the day,” he said.
The ECCIMA President used the opportunity to laud the support the chamber has received from the state government over the years, stressing that from what has happened so far “we are sure that our relationship with the present government will be even better than we have had all along.”
He said further that it is the cordial relationship and the chamber’s trust in the good intentions of Governor Mbah that have convinced ECCIMA that despite “subtle maneuvers of some people, the permanent site of the Enugu international trade fair which Enugu holds in trust for the southeast chambers of commerce is safe from any form of trespass.”
He added: ”Our quest to get the federal government which owns the place to further develop it to the standard of Lagos and Kaduna will go on. While we wait for them to actualize various promises made, we have continued to task ourselves to further develop it.”
He said that presently, an understanding with the computer village association had yielded an ongoing N3billion project guaranteed to create new employment and enhance a multiplier effect that would be in sync with the economic agenda of the Governor’s.
Nduagwuike, who was represented by Nnanyelugo Onyemelukwe, commended Enugu State government for its support to ECCIMA, assuring of continuous partnership with the state government.
In his speech, the ECCIMA Director General, Mr. Uchechukwu Mba said that as part of the chamber’s efforts toward the full development of the Enugu international trade fair complex, “we are putting up measure to start the construction of a 5,000 SQM sized fully air-conditioned Enugu International Trade Fair & Exhibition Hall.”
The Director General quickly added: “We intend to achieve about three of such hall within the next four to five years through partnership with private investors and developers. The foundation laying ceremony of the first Hall will be on January 25, 2024, during the 2024 AGM of ECCIMA.”
According to him, ECCIMA is also planning to develop with the trade fair complex, the ECCIMA Industrial Park which will provide production base for startups in different sectors and areas of business.
“Our aim is to build a hub for upcoming industries such that in the next ten years, Enugu State and the southeast at large will become the city/region for major industrial production in Nigeria. Interestingly, we shall achieve this through partnership with private investors who are already willing to start the project,” said Mba, who added: ” “These projects, when completed, will make Enugu a rallying point for industrial activities, international conferences and exhibitions.” Earlier, the Chairman of the occasion, Ide J.C. Udeagbala, who was represented by the President, Southeast Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (SECCIMA), Humphrey Ngonadi, felicitated ECCIMA for its laudable contributions to the growth of the country, even as he commended Enugu State government for its support to ECCIMA.
