Otti performs ground-breaking ceremony of Abia industrial, innovation park at Owaza

…Gets Shelll, Total,.OGFTZA support

Abia State Governor, Alex Otti on Saturday performed the ground-breaking ceremony of Abia Industrial and Innovation Park (AIIP) in Owaza, an oil-bearing community, in Ukwa West Local Government Area of the state.

Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), Total Energies Limited and the Oil and Gas Free Trade Zone Authority partners in the project, have expressed commitment to the realisation of the project.

The proposed industrial park, which will sit on over 1,000 hectares of land, will host modular refineries, petrochemical and fertiliser plants and several other chains of enterprises.

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Otti said that AIIP is conceived to serve as a launch pad for Abia’s economic rejuvenation, leveraging the many advantages of this location, including but not limited to the oil and gas deposits, nearness to Aba and Port Harcourt cities, abundance of skilled labour and a secure environment for smooth and uninterrupted production and other industrial activities

He appreciated the communities and villages that see great value in the proposition and graciously offered their land to give the vision a foothold and thanked the traditional and community leaders, the youth leaders and all who were involved in various stages of the negotiations for their peaceful disposition and sincerity.

“My honest assurance to everyone is that the Abia State government shall keep to its part of the bargain and you shall get what you truly deserve. We shall also work with experts and industry regulators to set up clear guidelines that will drastically minimise the damage to your natural environment.

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“Above all, we will see to it that every corporate entity that shall have a presence here takes its corporate social responsibility very seriously,” he said.

Otti equally appreciated the various businesses and government agencies that have indicated interest in being involved in the Abia Industrial and Innovation Park, stressing that he is excited to see the heads and representatives of several multinational corporations and government agencies present at the groundbreaking ceremony.

Speaking further, Otti said, “Our vision is clear and our goal direct: we want to responsibly harness the abundant oil and gas reserves within Ukwa for the economic development of the communities within, the state and the regions connected to this project location.

“At every stage of this project, even before this groundbreaking ceremony, jobs will be created, local businesses will be empowered and multiple channels of economic expansion established for entrepreneurs within and outside this immediate community.

“The AIIP promises to be a win-win for every stakeholder, especially the host communities that have graciously welcomed us, the investors who can be certain of a conducive business environment, steady power supply, nearness to raw materials, a large population of skilled and unskilled labour, the government through improved revenue and even the research and academic community who can use this project to drive their search for knowledge on relevant thematic areas.

“The agenda is to build a connected system that offers the advantage of economies of scale to businesses that would be sited here, taking advantage of a systematic network that offers endless enterprise opportunities, residential comfort, robust infrastructure, outlets for leisure and recreation and chains of other benefits that cannot be obtained in any other location in all of West Africa.”

Otti said that AIIP was different from similar ideas in the past that ultimately did not see the light of day because his administration comes with a new assurance: in the spirit of the New Abia, adding that things would be different this time, as all that is promised would be delivered and no party shall be short-changed

Benjamin Kalu, deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, described the AIIP as the very essence of progress, innovation and economic development, stressing that it will position Abia State as a hub for innovation and Industrialisation.

He stressed that the groundbreaking ceremony marks the journey towards remarkable development, adding that he will support Otti from the Federal level to ensure that they build a state that everybody will be proud of under President Bola Tinubu.

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Kalu said that the Federal Government would never allow the AIIP to be an abandoned project as it carries the symbol of the renewed hope movement that is all about ensuring that serious projects that can change the economic landscape of the country and are capable of creating employment are successful.

He said that the 10th National Assembly was working hard to draft a legislative framework that would support projects like AIIP that encourage innovation, and entrepreneurship, enhancing ease of doing business and improving lives.

Joel Ogbonna, a professor and state’s commissioner for Petroleum and Mineral Resources, said it was a dream come true that would lead the people of the state into the land of their dream. He stressed that the vision of Otti’s administration was clear which he said was to restore Abia to number one state, not just alphabetically, but in the true sense of it.

He said that Otti’s administration was poised to rewrite history, change the narrative and change the industrial landscape of the state.

He said that Owaza, Ozuaku and Okohia, the three communities that donated the land would automatically become Industrial hubs without wasting time.

Ogbonna said that for the project to succeed, it must have the collaboration of all the stakeholders who must take it as their own project. He said that with AIIP, the future was bright and must be embraced without fear and delay.

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Chinedu Onyeizu, chief executive officer, AIIP, said that the project when realised, would usher in accelerated development into Abia and thanked Otti for keeping the project on the priority list of his administration.

He said that the event cannot come at a better time than now as it would create generational wealth and create more opportunities for the ingenuity of Aba man to become clearer.

Onyeizu said that the AIIP was a strategic business environment to build significant capacity in many business angles. He stressed that AIIP was a bold step undertaken by Otti’s administration to lay a good foundation for a new and emerging Abia.

He said it would create an opportunity for Aba-made products to become a global competitor in the world business sector.

Simbi Wabote, executive secretary, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), said that he wanted to see the AIIP happen, because of the immense impact it would have on the economy, stressing that the primary goal of local content management was to ensure better manufacturing, locally.

He said that if Nigeria continued to depend on imported products that the naira would continue to depreciate, stressing that projects like AIIP will boost the manufacturing sector of the economy.

Wabote said that AIIP would enable Abia to occupy its rightful position, as a key manufacturer of leather products, adding that with dedication and consistency, AIIP will reposition Abia and Nigeria.

He said that the issue of high cost of production, would be a thing of the past in AIIP with the provision of constant electricity and commended the location of the park, which is close to gas and a seaport and advised the Governor to provide every necessary infrastructure needed and vowed to cooperate with Abia Government to make it a success.