Made-in-Aba campaign attracts N3bn in direct orders – Ikpeazu

The Made-in-Aba campaign has so far attracted over N3billion in direct orders into Aba, while ensuring the employment of about 1-million new employees and apprentices in the over 300,000 markets around the State, says Governor Okezie Ikpeazu.
Ikpeazu in his broadcast to mark his 3 years in office, as the Governor of Abia State, observed that the Made-In Aba campaign has opened new doors of opportunities for producers in Aba, the State’s commercial hub.
He stated that the ongoing Ariaria Independent Power Project, being financed by the Rural Electrification Agency of the Federal Government, when completed would improve power supply in the Ariaria business corridor, especially at the finished leather cluster.
He explained that the power project has for the last 6 months, provided uninterrupted power at the market to 2,000 shops on its pilot phase, which was successful and revealed that the agency is constructing a power station that would provide uninterrupted power to 34,000 shops in the market.
In his words, “You are all aware of the steps we took to ensure that capacity is improved in our flagship shoemaking sector, by sending 30 shoemakers from the state to China, to learn the art of automated shoemaking.
“We have ordered the equipment that the shoemakers used in China and they are expected in the country soon. We will commence large-scale production at the Abia Shoe Factory, in Aba, before the end of the year.”
Ikpeazu sated further that his administration has pursued with uncommon vigour, its determination to diversify the economy of the State, through agriculture, stating that the large scale mushroom production and training programme is already yielding great results and attracting requests for support from other States.
According to him, many young Abians have been trained and are currently engaged in large-scale commercial mushroom production.
On rice production, the Abia State Governor, stated that his administration is also actively supporting rice farmers in the State to further boost production and put more of the highly nutritious ‘Abia Rice’ in the market.
“Our target is to be self-sufficient in rice production, by 2019 and target the export market afterwards.
“We have in the same vein engaged in massive palm planting campaign, which has so far seen us planting over 4-million tenera specie palm seedlings across the State.
“Our target is to plant 7.5-million seedlings by the end of 2019 and we are firmly on course. We have also provided mechanized farming equipment across the State, through leasing at affordable rates.”
He revealed that the State’s enhanced poultry and fish production, has yielded great results with 100 poultry pens of 2000 birds each, established across the State.
“We constructed a massive 165,000 birds-capacity poultry processing plant at Umuosu Nsulu in Abia Central Senatorial Zone, while additional 2-units for Abia North and South, are currently under construction.
He stated that Abia is gradually regaining its pride of place, as an agricultural hub, stressing that his administration is poised to do even more, by ensuring that the Umuahia Agro-Industrial Cluster takes off soon.
He explained that the industrial zone will handle cassava, oil palm, cocoa, Rice and cashew processing in the 1st phase with potential of creating over 1-million jobs, along the value chain.

GODFREY OFURUM, Aba