Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti, has urged investors to take advantage of the state’s improving business environment, assuring them of his administration’s commitment to creating the conditions for businesses and investments to thrive.
Governor Otti made the call in Aba while commissioning the 55-room ORIS Signature Hotel, describing the development as a reflection of the growing confidence in Aba’s economic prospects.
The Governor noted that the transformation taking place in the commercial city was opening up new opportunities for investors across various sectors.
Governor Otti recalled the poor state of infrastructure and declining economic activities he inherited in Aba, but said the situation had changed significantly since his administration assumed office.
He said the growing demand for accommodation and other services in Aba indicated that economic activities were picking up, adding that the opportunities created by the ongoing transformation were yet to be fully explored.
Governor Otti therefore urged investors who had left the state to return and encouraged new investors to consider Abia as a destination for their investments.
According to him, the government’s interventions in infrastructure and other sectors were only the beginning of it’s development agenda, with more projects expected in the state.
“We know what we met but that’s not the story for today. A few months after we took over, hotels started being over-booked.
“This town will continue to grow. All our people who relocated, we are asking them to come back quickly. A lot of them are already back.
“If you don’t make haste and come back, maybe when you want to come back, there will be nowhere for you to stay here. So never again will this town go back to where we are coming from”, he said.
The governor also expressed optimism that the Radisson Blu Enyimba Hotel, when completed, would further strengthen Aba’s hospitality and business ecosystem.
He said his administration had so far laid the foundation for sustained development, noting that the state would witness more projects and economic expansion if the current trajectory was maintained.
Also speaking, the Mayor of Aba North, Hon. Timothy Iheke, commended the governor for what he described as efforts to create an environment conducive to investment and economic activities.
Iheke said the improving business climate had increased investor interest in Aba, adding that property values in parts of the city had also risen.
Earlier, the General Manager of the Hotel, Mr Sharon Mani, said the company was encouraged to invest in Abia by the business environment created under the Otti administration.
