John Uwajimogu, Special Adviser to the President on Industry, Trade and Investment, has said that the Federal Government is exploring ways to support businesses in Abia State, particularly those in Aba fashion industry, comprising of garment and finished leather manufacturers.
Uwajimogu stated this, on Wednesday, during a visit to Governor Alex Otti, at Nvosi, Isialangwa South Local Government Area.
He said that the delegation was in the State to deepen engagement with the government and identify areas of collaboration that could attract federal projects and investment opportunities.
Uwajimogu said that the Federal Government had taken note of Aba’s strong industrial capacity, particularly i’ the finished leather and garment sectors, and was considering measures to address major constraints facing businesses in the sector.
‘One of the biggest things that we see coming out of Abia State is the strong industrial capacity in Aba, particularly in the textile and garments sector.
‘And we have been thinking of how, from the federal level, we can support the businesses that are working in that sector and have come up with ideas on how we can address one of the biggest binding constraints that they often face, namely infrastructure and finance.
‘And we’re also coming to discuss what we can bring to the table and help resolve and address those binding constraints’, Uwajimogu said.
He said that the Federal Government was also interested in bringing its projects and programmes to Abia, through closer collaboration with the state government.
Uwajimogu said that the focus was to strengthen businesses, improve productivity and tackle challenges, particularly inadequate infrastructure and limited access to finance.
He added that the visit would provide an opportunity to discuss practical measures for addressing the constraints and strengthening Abia’s industrial base.
The presidential adviser also expressed the Federal Government’s readiness to support Abia in agricultural development, stressing the importance of agriculture and agro-processing to economic growth.
He said agriculture provides a foundation for improved livelihoods and industrialisation through value addition and processing.
Uwajimogu said his engagement with the State government was also informed by the development initiatives being pursued by the Otti administration and the opportunities they presented for collaboration.
Cornelius Adebayo, Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Office, NALDA), described Governor Otti, as a performer and reformer.
Adebayo said that NALDA’s core mandate is to alleviate poverty, through agriculture and sought the State Government’s support in providing land for its Renewed Hope Mega Farm Estate programme.
He said that the programme was designed to aggregate farmers, provide infrastructure, improve security, facilitate access to inputs and markets, and create sustainable incomes.
Adebayo expressed the hope that Abia would host a major NALDA agricultural project, including a processing facility, and appealed to Otti to provide suitable land and other support for the initiative.
Responding, Governor Otti expressed his administration’s readiness to collaborate with NALDA and other stakeholders to unlock Abia’s agricultural potential.
He described the proposed farm settlement initiative as a practical pathway to increasing food production, creating jobs and reducing dependence on food imports.
He said that despite its limited landmass, Abia has fertile and arable land suitable for crops, including cassava, yam, cocoyam, palm and cashew.
The Governor recalled the success of farm settlements established in the 1950s and 1960s, as well as the defunct Star Paper Mill, as examples of enterprises that demonstrated Nigerians’ capacity to build sustainable productive ventures.
Governor Otti said that the proposed initiative aligned with his administration’s vision, noting that food importation placed additional pressure on the foreign exchange market and stressed the need to revive local production, through deliberate investment in agriculture.
He directed the Commissioners for Agriculture and Land to assess available locations, including existing farm settlements and other suitable areas and also directed them to explore measures to strengthen the operations of NALDA’s office in Osisioma.