Anambra on the verge of “Industrial Explosion”…as Obiano Continues to Garner Kudos for Strategic Leadership

Anambra State will be an industrial powerhouse by the year 20-20.

This is the view of experts involved in the development of the various sectorial blueprints driving the AITO (Agriculture, Industrialisation, Trade and Commerce, Oil and Gas) programme of His Excellency, Governor Willie Obiano’s administration.

This writer has...
been talking with some of these experts in the last two weeks. Some of them, in addition to their roles in the blueprints development, are in the thick of the implementation. They include an agricultural expert, Professor Chukwuemeka Omaliko of the University of Abuja, and Mr Chike Okonkwo, a top executive with GEC. Professor Omaliko is the head of the team that designed the blueprint on agriculture, while Chike Okonkwo is head of the Electric Power team.

I also spoke with Professor Joe Ezigbo, CEO of Falcon Petroleum, whose company is one of the leading investors in the power sector. One of the marquee projects of Falcon Petroleum is the installation and supply of gas to all the major industries in Ikorodu Industrial Estate.

In the words of Professor Omaliko, “soon, we are going to have a situation when everyone in Anambra will be producing one thing or the other”.

Professor Omaliko’s Committee were no doubt very thorough in their study of the agricultural potentials of Anambra State.

Given what I knew about Nigerian governments at the Federal and State levels in the area of information, accurate data, forecasts, and planning, I was surprised to find out that Anambra State spends about N4 million weekly on the importation of vegetables from other States of Nigeria. Such information is only available in the very highly progressive and professional Marketing-driven companies in the organised private sector. It was indeed another shocker when Professor Omaliko disclosed that at least 60 per cent of the fish sold in Onitsha markets come from Ibadan.

That state of affairs would soon be reversed.

According to Professor Omaliko, the Anambra blueprint on agriculture envisaged that within two years of implementation, the State would be exporting fish and vegetables, among others. Indeed, vegetable export has since commenced (see story below on export of vegetables to the United Kingdom).

The reader may recall that in my post “Obiano Dancing with Nature…as MOM Romances the Best Palm Wine” https://plus.google.com/+MikeObiajuluMeze/posts/fbvAK7Ab1Wc I stated that one of the major investors in agriculture in Anambra State, Delfarm Projects Limited, would begin to meet most of the State’s vegetable needs within six months of its take-off (see photographs from Delfarm’s Igbariam farm project).

The agricultural blueprint is not all about large-scale farmers.

Professor Omaliko pointed out that the small-scale farmers were well taken care of in the plans. He posits that “apart from the fact that we factored them into our plans, we envisaged a situation, as has happened in some South East Asian countries, where some of these small-scale farmers would aggressively grow into large scale farming units not only by natural growth but also by the acquisition of other smaller farmers. The cooperatives we recommended and which are now being formed will be expected to play key roles. In addition, the large-scale farmers are encouraged to take on small-scale farmers as out-growers.”

In my last post, “A SMALL FIRE…SETTING ANAMBRA ABLAZE” https://plus.google.com/+MikeObiajuluMeze/posts/BD8vHGvmsu9 I reported that out-growers attached to Joseph Agro’s Ufuma rice farms have started making substantial contributions to the State’s rice production capacity.

The Anambra State special committee on Electric Power supply headed by Chike Okonkwo, in their blueprint, identified electric power supply as the bane of industrialisation in Anambra State, easily the State with the highest number of micro and small scale enterprises in Nigeria. The Committee has been vigorously pursuing its plan to make Anambra State self-sufficient in electric power supply by year 20-20.

As part of the 20-20 self-sufficiency electric power plan, independent power plants were projected, just as it was also projected to maximise the abundance of natural gas resources in the State, particularly, in the Anambra North senatorial zone.

One of the first fruits of the electric power blueprint is the UDIPPCO modular gas plant coming up in Umurem, Ayamelum Local Government Area, of the State. The project expected to deliver about 85 MW of electric power, was flagged off by Governor Willie Obiano in the first quarter of 2015 and is now nearing completion.

It is anticipated that before the end of the first quarter of 2016, the UDIPPCO plant would be linked to the Orient Petroleum well-pump a few metres from the site of the power plant.

Communication networks, including roads in support of the energy dreams of the Obiano administration have been embarked upon.

One of such efforts is the longest bridge in the State (now completed) providing links to the oil and gas basins as well as the major food baskets in Anambra East and West as well as Ayamelum Local Government Areas. There is also the Umueje road and bridge from the Anaku end of the oil and gas basin. All these were commissioned by the Obiano administration (see photographs of the bridges).

It was Professor Joe Ezigbo who predicted the “industrial explosion”. Speaking along the same lines with Chike Okonkwo on the energy needs of Anambra State, he posited that the depreciating value of the Naira against the US Dollar and other international currencies, and the falling crude oil prices notwithstanding, Anambra State is well on course towards experiencing an “industrial explosion” by the year 20-20 as the State Government moves towards the achievement of electric power sufficiency.

Professor Ezigbo whose company’s investment is predicated on compressed natural gas (CNG) being cheaper than diesel is so confident that with the innovative and frugal strategies being adopted by the State Government, the dream of energy sufficiency which would in turn catalyse the “industrial explosion” would be realised in the projected time span.

Professor Ezigbo disclosed that his company had approached at least three successive administrations in Anambra State with his CNG programme without any positive results. He added that given the strategic focus of the Obiano administration, it was very easy for the Government and ANSIPPA to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with his firm in less than two months.

More Recognition for Governor Obiano
Governor Willie Obiano continues to gain recognition for his strategic Leadership of Anambra State. Towards the end of 2015, the SUN newspapers announced that it would be conferring on him the “Governor of the Year 2015”. This is the first time that newspaper would be giving out an award in that category. The award is planned to be formally presented to Governor Obiano on Saturday, February 20, 2016.

Not long after that, the Ohaneze Youth wing announced Governor Obiano as the “Best Igbo Governor”.

Only last week, nairaland.com in a political dipstick aimed at choosing the best performing Governor in 2015, threw up Governor Obiano as number one in a shortlist of five serving Governors.

Anambra Begins Vegetable Exports to the UK
Anambra State in the third week of January this year commenced exportation of vegetables to the United Kingdom.

The process began with the exportation of Ugu (pumpkin leaves) and Onugbu (bitter leaves) by small-scale farmers assisted by the Anambra State Ministry of Agriculture and other partners, including logistics companies.

The Federal Quarantine Agency visited Anambra severally to inspect and certify various farms producing the vegetables to ensure that they are fit for the purpose.

The farmers were trained to produce vegetables of high quality without applying fertilizers and other chemicals. The vegetables are therefore classified as 100% organic.

N15bn Poultry Farm Project Takes Off in Igbariam
Governor Willie Obiano flagged-off of a modern integrated poultry farm project valued at $61m (N15bn) during the period under review. The farm project owned by Lynden Integrated Farms Limited is sited in Igbariam, Anambra East Local Government Area.

The farm on 75 hectares of land is expected to have 24 broiler houses with 30,000 bird capacity, 12 layer houses with 80,000 bird capacity, four rearing houses with 85,000 bird capacity each and a 2000 birds per hour slaughter house. On completion the project would generate over 250 direct jobs and 2500 indirect jobs.

Author: Mike Obiajulu Meze

I am happy this is happening in my life time.

God bless Anambra state.

God bless leaders that have the thought of people at heart.

Anambra obodo Oma nke Naijiria.


God Bless ANAMBRARIANS!!


God Bless Willie Maduabuchukwu Obiano

Anambra is always ahead , why ?

Better and i pray it does so that you guys can stay in your region.

demydea:
Better and i pray it does so that you guys can stay in your region.

Lol, u ppl are funny oo. the world is our region

igwe123:

Lol, u ppl are funny oo. the world is our region

That's a great answer!. Some people needs to grow up quickly & fast!. Chinese are everywhere!. Indians same!.... Europeans! Same! &&&& Why not Igbos?

Innoson Motors Nnewi cars for Ghana Election!

Stine Rice Mills & Industrial Complex Amichi Nnewi South Lga of Anambra State!. The Makers of Anambra Indigeneous Rice,Feeds etc!

We pray for the god of consistency to be with them...

Coscharis Rice Farms officially called Cosched Farms Anaku Ayamelum Lga of Anambra State!.

Lots of good news coming out of SE and Anambra in general. Nice!

This is a welcome development for the people of Anambra.

God bless anambra

demydea:
Better and i pray it does so that you guys can stay in your region.

what is dis tad.pole saying....change de way u live ur life or...........

Chukwu Okike! Anum ekelekwa gi nihi ihe oma nine anyi n'afu na Omambala kita. Chukwu I ga di o!!! Willie Obiano,keep it going. From vegetable exports to rice production to road networks to now-power self-sufficiency. Projects without end. News coming from Anambra nowadays makes one think of Japan.

igwe123:

Lol, u ppl are funny oo. the world is our region

You people are funny, so me praying that your region should develop is now an issue? You people are more pathetic than i thought

Why do you guys like deceiving yourselves like that?These are not innoson or whatever.Its renault donated to the government by the french ambassador to Ghana

investnow2013:
Innoson Motors Nnewi cars for Ghana Election!

OXYGEN01:
Why do you guys like deceiving yourselves like that?These are not innoson or whatever.Its renault donated to the government by the french ambassador to Ghana

how do you know that?

I love the news I read everyday about my state

this is what we want to hear

Power support infrastructure springing up here & there!

God bless Anambra and make it shine

OXYGEN01:
Why do you guys like deceiving yourselves like that?These are not innoson or whatever.Its renault donated to the government by the french ambassador to Ghana

your reasoning is so daft. the French ambassador donated Renault to Ghana. How come its used for campaign.


You see how far hatred can take one.

smh for you.

chiefobdk:



your reasoning is so daft. the French ambassador donated Renault to Ghana. How come its used for campaign.


You see how far hatred can take one.

smh for you.

No jokes in you. You are the one that is being daft. That news was false and he is right . and the cars can be used for what ever. It's not innoson. I just wonder why people would go to support her an extent to prove a point

iamord:
No jokes in you. You are the one that is being daft. That news was false and he is right . and the cars can be used for what ever. It's not innoson. I just wonder why people would go to support her an extent to prove a point

Mtchewwww

joke ke