NEWS
Abia Targets Industrial Renaissance as Otti Insists on Competence in Partnerships for Revived State-Owned Industries
…as Gov. Otti Commend Nepal Energies for Initiating an Industrial Project in Ukwa West, And for its Involvement in the Production of Plaster of Paris (POP) Cement in Aba
The Executive Governor of Abia State, Dr. Alex Chioma Otti, OFR, has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to partnering only with capable and credible investors in the management of moribund industries recently re-acquired by the state government, as part of a broader strategy to restore Abia’s industrial strength and stimulate job creation.
Governor Otti made this known on Friday, March 13, during a meeting with the management team of Nepal Energies at his office. The company had expressed interest in managing Afro Beverages, one of the dormant industrial facilities recently acquired by the Abia State Government from the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON).
During the engagement, the Governor stressed that the competence, financial strength, and operational capacity of prospective investors would be the most critical criteria in determining which companies would be entrusted with the management of the industries the state government has taken steps to revive.
Governor Otti explained that the administration is adopting a cautious and methodical approach in selecting partners to prevent a recurrence of past situations where revived industries eventually collapsed again due to poor management and lack of capacity.
“The reason for the acquisition is not for us to go in and run it, as a government, we know where our limits are.
“It would be a disaster after the original visionaries set it up, passed it on, and then it was ran aground, and we rescued it, and somebody else comes and runs it aground again.
“So, that is why we are very meticulous, and we are very careful in bringing investors into those organisations.
“It must be people who have the capacity, who have the capital, the competence, the skills to run them. So, for us, what would be very critical is the capacity to manage,“ Governor Otti stated.
The Governor further noted that the state government’s decision to reacquire the moribund industries is not driven by a desire to operate them directly, but rather to restore them to full productivity and subsequently hand them over to capable private-sector operators who possess the expertise to sustain them.
According to him, the revival of the industries is fundamentally aimed at creating employment opportunities for Abians and stimulating economic growth across the state. He emphasized that unemployment remains one of the major drivers of crime and social instability, adding that restoring industrial activity would significantly reduce joblessness and improve livelihoods.
Governor Otti also commended Nepal Energies for initiating an industrial project in Ukwa West Local Government Area and for its involvement in the production of Plaster of Paris (POP) cement in Aba, noting that such investments align with the administration’s economic revitalization agenda. He acknowledged the company’s plan to scale up production from about 200 tonnes to 1,500 tonnes as a positive step toward boosting industrial output in the state.
Earlier in her remarks, the Managing Director of Nepal Energies, Dr. Mrs. Ngozi Ekeoma, expressed the company’s strong interest in partnering with the Abia State Government to acquire and revive Afro Beverages, describing the facility as a viable industrial asset capable of being restored to full operation.
Dr. Ekeoma explained that the return of stable electricity supply to Aba has created a conducive environment for manufacturing and industrial expansion, thereby making investment in the state more attractive.
She disclosed that the Nepal Group has already entered into partnership with another company involved in the production of POP cement in Aba, which currently has a production capacity of about 200 tonnes per day, with plans to scale up output to 1,500 tonnes within the next 18 months.
According to her, the company operates primarily in the downstream oil and gas sector but has diversified its investment portfolio into other non-oil businesses, including manufacturing ventures.
“We have come to partner with the State to get one of the industries that is in Abia, that is currently being owned by Abia State Government.
“We think it’s something that we can revive, revamp, and put it back in a state that it should be.
“We are capable of taking over the industry. This is not the first manufacturing plant that we own.
“As we speak, we are already in partnership with another company producing POP cement in Aba.
“We are currently building our detergent plant, a four tonnes per hour detergent plant in Ụkwa West. It should start producing before the end of the year,“ Mrs Ekeoma explained.
The meeting was attended by key members of the Abia State Government, including the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Pst. Caleb Ajagba, Ph.D; the Commissioner for Industry and Small and Medium Enterprises, Mazi Mike Akpara; the Commissioner for Power and Public Utilities, Engr. Ikechukwu Monday; the Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the Public-Private Partnership and Investment Promotion Office, Mr. Chinedum Chijioke; and the Director General of the Greater Aba Development Authority, Arc. Uche Ukeje,
among other senior government officials.