Akwa Ibom FDI Second To Lagos --Gov Emmanuel

The Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanual on Tuesday revealed that the Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) of his state is second to Lagos state among other states of the federation.

The Governor stated this in Lagos during an interactive session with journalists, noted that his administration has succeeded in boosting the economic prosperity of the state to compete with other economies like Lagos rated as the fifth largest economy in Africa.

He explained that presently in Nigeria, Akwa Ibom State is leading the train of state governors who are bold enough and are armed with the economic and intellectual wizardry to woo and convince foreign investors to partner state governments to invest in their states, especially during biting recession period.

Emmanuel said, "One interesting thing to note is not exploring Public Private Partnership (PPP) only for the purpose of basic infrastructural development, but to draft and propose viable business and industrial ventures loaded with benefits to the two parties, chief of which is employment generation for the state.

"For example, many have continued to wonder about the miracle behind Governor Udom Emmanuel’s government’s ability to create jobs and economic prosperity through the establishment and operation of one revamped and five brand new manufacturing industries in Akwa Ibom state within three years, even at a period of seemingly unfavourable economic climate in the country."

The Governor said that many Nigerians are still amazed about the syringe manufacturing company, the electric meter manufacturing company, the toothpick and pencil manufacturing factory and the Akwa Prime Poultry and Hatchery Industries, all brand new business ventures conceived, built, commissioned and producing less than three years of Gov. Udom Emmanuel’s tenure.

The governor said he decided to promote economic development through participatory, coherent and coordinated economic policies. "This, of course, has been the quality that stands the state and its governor out in good stead and sets him apart from his contemporaries. It is also the reason Akwa Ibom people are reaping hugely from his investment drive.’’

Emmanuel added that, "His government has pursued this with vigour and achieved the licensing of the upgraded Ibom Power from 190mw to 685mw. The import of this is that with the phase two of the Ibom power plant project hitting 685mw, the state government’s industrialisation policy is backed with adequate provision of power. ‘’Taking it together, the implication is that the Ikot Abasi axis of the state is open for industrial and agro parks with capacity to generate, and deliver to the people, up to 5,000 jobs.’’

Source: www.9jaecho.com