Ikpeazu promises to provide land for permanent trade fair complex in Aba

Ikpeazu promises to provide land for permanent trade fair complex in Aba

 By  Ijendu.Iheaka - Nigeria
 October 11, 2016 7:05 pm

Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia has promised to provide land for the Aba Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ACCIMA) to build a permanent trade fair complex.

Ikpeazu made the promise in Aba on Tuesday at ACCIMA’s 2016 Business Luncheon in Aba, Abia.

The governor, represented by the Comissioner for Finance, Chief Obinna Oriaku, said that the state could not talk of promoting Nigerian made products without a trade fair complex to showcase its products.

He said that he signed a waiver running into a huge undisclosed sum of money last week to enable the core investor in Swiss International Enyimba Hotels, Aba start work on the project without further delay.

Ikpeazu said improving infrastructure was key to improving Aba’s economic status hence he paid N1.4 billion to SETRACO Construction Company to resume work on Faulks road leading to Ariaria Market.

He said that getting Ariaria market right was important in repositioning the state’s economy.

Ikpeazu thanked the chamber for being resilient in business in the face of economic difficulties in Nigeria and urged the members to put Aba in the lead in commerce in the South East.

ACCIMA President, Mr Emma Nwakpadolu, said there was need to harness Aba’s development potentials in markets, skilled man-power, raw materials and industries for economic growth.

He lauded Ikpeazu’s efforts in reviving Aba’s position as the nation’s foremost technology centre and contributions to development programmes of ACCIMA.

Nwakpadolu said ACCIMA had engaged in talks with Goemetric and Azura Power Ltd to provide full and uninterrupted power supply to the city and its environs to improve productivity.

The Founder of Gregory University, Uturu, and Resource Person at the event, Dr Greg Ibe, delivered a lecture titled “Revival of our National Economy by Enhancing Agricultural, Industrial and Technological productivity”.

Ibe said Nigeria’s economy needed people, business firms and higher agricultural output to develop and sustain its economy.

He said that of the three, agriculture was most important to develop and sustain a nation’s economy, adding that agriculture-based economies did not often fluctuate like other economies.

He urged government’s to support businesses by providing infrastructure, adding that the government owed such provisions to the people to improve its economy.

He said Nigeria’s failing economy could only be revived if the nation improved its agriculture, technology and general productivity.