The report on capital importation into the country, compiled by the Central Bank of Nigeria, was released on Friday by the National Bereau of Statistics, NBS, with Abia State picking the third place.
Recall that the report captures the total Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), portfolio investment and other types of investments into the country in a year the global economy suffered a terrible battering as a result of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19).
Recall also that, by destination, Lagos emerged as the top destination of capital investment in Nigeria with $8.3 billion, followed by Abuja, which received $1.3 billion while Abia State came third with $56 million.
Speaking on this development, the Special Adviser to the Abia State governor on Social Investment Programme and Inter – Governmental Affairs, Chief Chinenye Nwaogu, admitted that the strides recorded by Governor Okezie Ikpeazu in the development of Aba, the commercial nerve center of the state, which revived the business activities in Aba, assisted greatly to the recent feat recorded by the state.
He expressed optimism that the figure will be higher in the year 2021 because of the relentless efforts of the governor in the promotion of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises and the ground breaking of Enyimba Economic City this year.
Nwaogu said, “We are happy with the positive result and most importantly it is coming from a body outside the control of the Abia State Government; so nobody will say that it was rigged. This ranking came out of deliberate and focused activities and efforts of the state government under the leadership of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu”.
Nwaogu, the SA on Social Investment Programme and Inter – Governmental Affairs, who expressed the preparedness of Abia State to sustain the result and do more exploits, further described the result as a reward of focused and dedicated actions of Gov. Ikpeazu, saying, “the result is going to be sustainable”.
He recalled all the processes and strives of Governor Ikpeazu geared towards tackling the issue of branding and advertising products made in Aba and successes recorded marketing Aba, not made in China, Turkey and Dubai goods.
He pointed out that the mechanism put in place by Governor Ikpeazu, immediately after he assumed office as duly elected governor in 2015, positively improved business operating environment in Aba and made it easy for foreign direct investment, local investors and all kinds of business people come in and out of the state to do business.
Nwaogu pointed out that the gaps – Infrastructure gap; poor road network and access to funds noticed by Dr. Ikpeazu, when he assumed office as the governor were tackled squarely.
He seized the opportunity to call on both foreign and local investors to come to Aba and invest as Governor Okezie Ikpeazu has put in his best to secure the state, so that the investors will have the needed confidence while running their businesses.
