By Oseloka Nwora
As part of its achievements in the past three years, the Anambra State government led by Chief Willie Obiano has revealed the attraction of $494 million into the industrial sector of the state.
According to the state government, these investments came mostly from entrepreneurs, like Richbon Nigeria Limited, Zolt Energy Limited, Obumek International Ltd., Chikason Group and Redemption Modern Agro and Allied Processing Ltd, among others.
Governor Obiano, in his breakdown of the achievements, also noted that the conducive environment his administration created, soon after he assumed office, had had a huge impact on the output of industries, operating in the state.
He pointed out that the South African brewing giants, SABMiller Breweries, which operates in Onitsha, had successfully concluded its expansion project valued at $100 million within the same review period.
Obiano’s announcement did not come as a surprise to people, who have been following the trajectory of industrial development in Anambra State and Governor Obiano’s efforts to key into a long flourishing manufacturing culture. Indeed, Anambra has always been an important destination on the industrial map of Nigeria. The natural inclination of the people to create things is quite known and respected across the country. It is a reputation long earned by the tenacious efforts of pioneers too numerous to mention.
The Nnewi-Onitsha industrial axis has made significant contributions to Nigeria’s quest for a strong industrial backbone. The Nnewi industrialists, for instance, have survived years of horrific industrial nightmares and suffocating government policies that made growth impossible at a point. Happily, these tremors have only slowed most of them down; they didn’t actually wipe them away. The enthusiasm to break out of the mould, to build a new culture of entrepreneurship and to create values that endure has remained on the all-time-high to date.
It is this enthusiasm that informed Governor Obiano’s decision to make industrialisation a major pillar in his Economic Blueprint for Anambra State. Essentially, Obiano’s vision is to ensure that Anambra berths among the Top-5 industrialising states in Nigeria. This vision has driven much of his efforts to wake up the entrepreneurial side of the people and inspire them into taking advantage of the friendly business climate in the state. It is pretty much what informed some of his earliest steps after being sworn in as governor.
One of the earliest things that Governor Obiano did on assumption of office was the special interactive session he had with Anambra-born industrialists. The meeting attracted some of the country’s leading industrialists to the executive council chambers in the Government House, Awka, where he tabled his agenda before them and asked for their support and involvement to build a strong industrial core for the state. Many notable industrialists attended the session; people like Cosmas Maduka of Coscharis, Chief Ajulu Uzodike, Chief Christopher Eze of John Holts Ltd. and a host of others.
Plumbing the enthusiasm of these industrial figures, Governor Obiano set out to first create an enabling environment where industrialists would not have to worry about their personal safety and two; create a system that would make the process of investing in Anambra State look like a walk in a park. All these are perfectly aligned to his overall vision of making Anambra State the first choice investment destination and a hub for industrialisation and commercial activities. It is also in sync with his mission to make Anambra State a socilally stable, business-friendly environment that would attract both indigenes and foreigners to seek wealth-creating opportunities.
The pursuit of these ideals led to the handing over of 80 hectares of land designated for the building of an auto industrial park at a location between Akwa-Ihedi, Unubi and Uga to the Federal Government. It is hoped that the arrangement would encourage the Federal Government to bring its enormous weight to bear on the burgeoning auto industry in the Nnewi axis and finally jumpstart a serious industrial activity that would benefit Anambra and Nigeria.
It is also along this same line that Governor Obiano drove his vision to expand the industrial base of the state through the opening of credit lines to small and medium scale enterprises in the state. Specifically, through the auspices of the Anambra Small Business Agency, Governor Obiano has made a bold effort to inspire about 7000 prospective entrepreneurs to go into businesses of all kinds on its Retail Lending Scheme. A total sum of N1.9bn has been distributed so far with players in the Textile industrial sector, getting the lion’s share of 29.89%. They were closely followed by the agricultural sector with 26.44%, shoe industrial sector with 23.92% while trading got 15.71% since the state already enjoys a comparative advantage in trading. Cottage industries operators also received 1.58% per cent of the total sum.
The interesting thing about the Anambra scenario is that even with all the solid efforts he has made so far, Governor Obiano is not resting on his oars. He continues to seek new ways of tackling old problems and looking at what could be done differently. It was this thirst for a new solution to old problems that egged him on to push for the visit of Vice President Yemi Osibanjo to Anambra in November last year. Prof Osibanjo’s visit was a culmination of the assurances that Obiano had given Anambra industrialists that he would draw the attention of the Federal Government to their plight while rolling out his Economic Stimulus Package last September to cushion the effects of recession in the state.
Indeed, since he assumed office, as governor three years ago, Obiano has shown that leadership can still cover the essential needs and aspirations of the people while meeting its other obligations as a corporate entity.
• Nwora, a manufacturer of polymer products wrote from Enugwu-Ukwu