By Isaac Mission
Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has urged local and international investors to consider the state as a destination for business, saying his administration has laid the foundation for stronger economic growth and increased investment.
Otti made the appeal in Lagos during the Nigeria-British Chamber of Commerce (NBCC) “Meet the Governor Series,” which focused on repositioning Abia for enterprise, industrialisation and sustainable economic development.
The governor said his administration’s approach to development was centred on creating conditions that would encourage private businesses to expand and take advantage of public investments in infrastructure.
According to him, Abia has undergone significant changes over the past three years, positioning the state to attract investment capital from within Nigeria and abroad.
Otti, however, cautioned against claiming that his government had already transformed Abia into a fully modern state, saying its major achievement had been the establishment of a solid foundation for long-term development.
He explained that the administration has prioritised capital projects, allocating at least 80 per cent of its annual budgets to capital expenditure.
The governor stressed that sustainable economic growth could not be achieved by government alone, arguing that effective collaboration between the public and private sectors was essential.
He identified infrastructure, security, reliable electricity and responsive government institutions as some of the major factors that influence investment decisions.
Otti also highlighted the state’s spending on healthcare, noting that about 15 per cent of its budget is devoted to the sector. He said the investment had helped Abia achieve a strong position nationally in health emergency preparedness.
On the business environment, the governor said Abia had recorded improvements in ease of doing business and support for local enterprises.
He further pointed to transportation as another area where the state had gained an advantage. According to him, investments in urban and rural road networks, alongside the introduction of green shuttle buses, had helped reduce transportation costs for residents and businesses.
Otti said lower transport expenses, rental costs and security-related overheads could make Abia particularly attractive to cost-conscious investors.
He disclosed that some businesses that previously relocated from the state were beginning to return, which he described as evidence of growing confidence in the state’s economic prospects.
The governor attributed the expanding consumer market partly to population growth driven by the movement of households and businesses into Abia.
He also said the state’s public spending programmes were helping to put more money into the hands of individuals and businesses, thereby stimulating consumption and economic activity.
Otti maintained that the government’s role was to establish the infrastructure and institutional environment required for businesses to thrive, while the private sector would drive much of the actual economic expansion.
He assured prospective investors that Abia was open for business and positioned to support enterprise, industrialisation and sustainable economic growth.
