Anambra State is targeting to become the number one destination for investment in the country even as the state may have attracted investments worth $4 billion over the last four years, Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Don Adinuba has said.
He said this during the courtesy visit to the state by Charles Nworji the Director; National Orientation Agency (NOA).

Adinuba said that the state has been able to attract significant amount of investment because of the relative peace it enjoys.

Anambra, he said, was the only state pursuing a development vision that takes into account generations yet unborn, stressing that with the cooperation of NOA, there would be no doubt that the state would succeed.

Responding, Nworji, the Director General of the NOA said that there were many ways that the NOA can cooperate with Anambra state to promote the state as an investment destination.

“They are organisations that cooperate for the common good, and that is why we are here to solicit for your cooperation,” Nworji added.

Meanwhile, as part of the efforts to attract investment into the state, Willie Obiano, the governor of the state, announced plans for the state to produce 613,000 metric tons of rice annually from its flourishing agricultural investments. He disclosed this during a tour of JOSAN Giant Rice Mill in Umumbo in Ayamelum Council of the state.

Obiano who recalled that when he assumed office in 2014, total rice production in the state stood at 80,000 metric tons per annum, said that has since more than doubled to 302,000 metric tons per annum. “We want to move to 613, 000 metric tons in the next three planting seasons.”

“And to be able to achieve that, we must renovate the irrigation system in Omor also in Ayamelum Council Area, in partnership with the federal government,” he said.

He said that JOSAN Rice Mill in Umumbo had a capacity to produce 50,000 metric tons of rice but that his administration had plans to beef up the production output of the mill to 100,000 metric tons.

The Umumbo Rice Mill which was built during the reign of former President Shehu Shagari had been abandoned for decades until the Obiano administration handed it over to JOSAN Integrated Farms and Mills Ltd in 2017.

According to him, the plan to revamp the moribund irrigation system would guarantee year-round rice production in the Ayamelum agricultural belt and boost the overall output in rice production in the state.

Obiano expressed confidence that when fully reactivated the Omor irrigation system would add vigour to the ongoing agricultural revolution in the state.

The traditional ruler of Umumbo, Igwe Simeon Chidubem and his Omor Counterpart, Igwe Chidume Oranu commended the governor for his interest in repositioning the agricultural sector of the state to become a major income earner

Already the state is getting support from the World Bank and the African Development Bank (ADB) which are implementing a Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP) to build access roads and markets in rural areas leading to major farmlands.

The Anambra State Coordinator of RAAMP, Joe Onyejekwe said that the work plan was to maximize agricultural production in the state.

Onyejekwe said that it was discovered that many food crops were wasting because there were no access roads to farms in the hinterlands noting that not less than US$8.9 billion was lost yearly in the country due to under harnessed farm produce.

“The World Bank and ADB have already selected roads that meet their qualifications to be built without interference of any person from the state. `They will come up with designs and check the quality of roads to be constructed,” he said.

The state coordinator said that three communities from Idemili South were selected. These include Awkaetiti, Nnokwa and Alor and Obosi from Idemili North.

Still in a bid to boost investment, the State Government has perfected plans to stage a Trade Fair at Onitsha, the commercial hub of the state. The fair, which would last for two weeks, has been scheduled to run from November 26 to December 11 at the Chuba Ikpeazu Stadium, Onitsha.

The Chairman Trade Fair Planning Committee, Chris Ukachukwu said the fair would be the third in the series in Anambra. It would be organised by three of the city’s chambers — Awka, Onitsha, and Nnewi and backed by Anambra State Government.

The theme of the trade fair is: “Promoting Economic Development Through Manufacturing, Trade and Agriculture’’.

“The core objective has been chosen — to organise a well-articulated fair that will attract international and local businesses to showcase their products,” Ukachukwu said.

The Head, Marketing Sub-Committee of the fair, Chinedu Nwonu said the trade fair would be in line with the Government’s economic pillars and enablers.

http://www.akelicious.net/2018/06/anambra-targets-number-one-investment.html

hard work will pay one day