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Key figures in the business world and prospective investors from the South-East region are expressing their readiness to be part of Governor Peter Mbah’s investment and economic growth vision in Enugu State.
They expressed satisfaction with the administration’s initiatives to bring together local business leaders and create a more secure business environment in the state, highlighting the attractiveness of investments in environments with lower risks and higher return on investment (ROI).
The business moguls hinted at this in Enugu over the weekend during the launch of the Enugu Investors Network—an initiative championed by the Enugu State Government to drive domestic investment.
At the inaugural roundtable of the Network, Dr. Sam Onyishi, CEO of Peace Group of Companies, one of the business leaders at the event, praised the governor for the enhanced security.
He stressed the importance of Ndigbo thinking locally, highlighting that the lasting security of Igbo investments is best guaranteed in their homeland.
‘The government is thinking what I was thinking. The first thing that this government did was to work on the Monday sit-at-home. Two years ago, we did not go to work for 62 days. Last year, we did not go to work for 67 days. This year was going to be worse than that.’
‘Why I said that the government is thinking what I was thinking is because on the 23rd of November 2013, I told my family that I was not going to make any investment that is worth more than N1 billion outside the South-East.’
‘I am happy with this government. This is the first time that anybody is inviting me in Enugu State to come and have this kind of heart-to-heart discussion with the governor seated too. The other ones were a kind of ‘come, talk and go home.’ But this one is action.’
The governor says, ‘This is what we have and what we are going to do together’. It is straight to the point.
‘We must be plain and frank with ourselves. So, I do not want to talk about what Nigeria is and what Nigeria is not. As far as I am concerned, I am made for where I come from. Charity begins at home.’
Read also: I Will Provide Water In Enugu In 180 Days – Peter Mbah
In concurrence, Sir Cosmas Maduka, Chairman of Coscharis Group, affirmed that the group has shifted its focus to the homeland, making substantial investments in agriculture and other sectors in Anambra State. He expressed eagerness to explore outlined investment opportunities in Enugu State.
‘I want to thank the Governor for thinking alike. However, security is a priority for a true investor, and it is the role of government. That is why I said that investment capital goes where it is safe.’
‘But you are on the right track. If opportunity presents itself, I would be interested, and that is why we are here,’ Maduka stated.
Governor Mbah, recalling Dr. Michael Okpara’s transformative actions in the Eastern Region, compared the Enugu Investors Network to Okpara’s strategy of bringing together eminent personalities.
He emphasized that narratives of insecurity, economic underdevelopment, laxity, and lack of ambitious development initiatives do not accurately represent the people of the South-East and can be changed.
‘So, we now have a government in Enugu State that has expressed a humongous vision and ambition as to where we want to see Enugu in the next four to eight years under our watch. We proposed to grow this economy from $4.4 billion to $30 billion to become one of the top players in Nigeria by GDP in the next four to eight years.’
‘This growth we envision in Enugu is not one that is going to come through the public sector. We expect that the growth would come from investments from the private sector.’
‘So, my intention here today is to elicit your engagement, your questions, and indeed your involvement on how we can grow Enugu’s economy and, by extension, the South-East economy,’ Mbah stated.
The Secretary to Enugu State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, and the Commissioner for Trade and Investment, Adaora Chukwu, earlier underscored that the launch of the Enugu Investors Network highlighted the pivotal role of domestic business leaders in realizing the state’s potential and achieving irreversible growth and prosperity, complementing the search for global partnerships.
‘This administration plans to grow the economy from the inside to outside, putting domestic industry at the centre of our economic plans,’ Onyia stated.
