The Ebonyi State Government has wooed investors with an enticing enabling business environment that guarantees profitability and business growth. The state Commissioner for Commerce, Industry and Business Development, Chief Oguzorkanu Offia-Nwali explained what the state was offering would-be investors during the Ebonyi State Special Day at the ongoing 35th Enugu International Trade Fair.
The fair, which began on April 5, is themed: “Promoting made-in-Nigeria products for global competitiveness.” Offia-Nwali said that the serene business environment, which had been luring investors into the state, included the government commitment to providing access good road, electricity and even water to production sites of genuine investors.
He said: “The business environment in the state is so serene that investors troop in to discuss establishment of multinational industries in various economic sectors. “As a government we do not joke with genuine and serious investors as we provide virtually everything to make them comfortable and kick-off production of goods and services without hitches.”
Offia-Nwali said that the state government had impacted trade, investment, human capital development, health, water and sanitation, energy, and others through public reforms. He noted a conducive environment has been created for businesses and Ebonyi State building material market is undergoing total revitalisation.
The commissioner added that the Ebonyi Pipe Industry which stopped production for over 10 years was revitalized, workers’ salaries were increased, and 1,500 youths were recently employed in the state civil service. “On pensioners, arrears of gratuities and death benefits from 2009-2022 have been paid fully.
“On education, postgraduate students (Masters and Ph.D Accounting and Aeronautic Engineering) were offered scholarships to study abroad, while Law students were sponsored to law school with N350,000 each. Over 1000 students were also awarded scholarships to pursue Masters programmes in Nigeria. Non-indigenes were also awarded educational scholarships as well,” he said.
The commissioner noted that Ebonyi State came to the fair well-prepared with a lot of locally produced goods to showcase, which included: Ebonyi pipe, famous Ebonyi rice, palm oil, cassava, and fertilizer, among others. Earlier, President of Enugu Chamber of Commerce, Chief Odeiga Jideonwo, called on investors, both local and foreign to prospect Ebonyi State for business opportunities. “Ebonyi is blessed with many solid minerals and arable land for agriculture and agro-allied industries,” Jideonwo said.
According to him, since the inception of Ebonyi State, she has produced visionary leaders who have elevated the bar of leadership of the state to a higher level and for this reason, investors should help to advance Ebonyi further.
“We doff our heart for this great state of Ebonyi and we are calling on investors both foreign and local to prospect Ebonyi State for investment. There is no doubt that the state is blessed with many solid minerals and arable land for agriculture and agro-allied industries,” he said.
