Politics
THE Secretary to the Enugu State Government (SSG), Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, has said that Gov. Peter Mbah’s vision for the state is to turn it to one that has private investment-led growth.
This, Onyia said would close the physical and social infrastructure gap, create hundreds of thousands of jobs for the people, and expand the state economy towards its 30-billion-dollar growth trajectory that was achievable.
The SSG stated these during a press conference he addressed at the Government House, Enugu, on Thursday.
According to Onyia, Enugu has traditionally been a public-sector city, but the state is are no longer satisfied with the status quo.
He explained that the state government would present a pipeline of 30 potential project opportunities with an estimated investment value of more than 2.1 billion dollars during the Enugu Investment and Economic Growth Stakeholder Roundtable on Sept 1.
Onyia said that Mbah, at the event, would unveil investment opportunities in projects that would improve the lives of the people through industrialisation, employment and socio-economic infrastructure such as electricity and hospitals, among others.
He explained that the event would “be the first in a series of business and investment roundtables in preparation for the first fully transactional Enugu State Diaspora and Investment Summit, which will take place in April 2024”.
“So, at the the Roundtable, the governor will share his vision for Enugu State and present the State’s Integrated Sector-Based Productivity Growth Strategy, which lays out a clear path to achieving our 30-billion-dollar GDP growth target.
“These are not just numbers, but transformative projects that will affect and improve the quality of life and standard of living for residents of Enugu State,” the SSG said.
He added that the projects in the pipeline ranged from specialist geriatric, paediatric, and maternal care hospitals to natural gas-to-power plants and renewable energy parks that would help meet the State’s 690 megawatts base load requirement.
He said this would pensure the sustainability in Enugu State’s energy sector.
“Therefore, they are transformative projects that will catalyse accelerated economic growth in our state and ensure sustainable prosperity and resilience for our people,” Onyia said.
Citing Lagos State as an example, Onyia said the roundtable became imperative because the private sector remained the actual driver of economic growth.
“So, it is crucial to us that ahead of the summit next year, we hear directly from the development partners, domestic financial institutions that have played catalytic roles in deploying capital for infrastructure development across various countries.
“Others are the private sector operators who have a wealth of experience carrying out large-scale projects globally.
“We expect that this roundtable discussion will help the state identify critical policy intervention and measures needed to ensure that we provide a conducive business environment for private investments to come to Enugu and thrive.
“It will also lay a groundwork for long-term partnerships and cooperation that can catalyse inclusive and sustainable growth in our state as Enugu State is resolute for investment and open for business,” he explained. (NAN)
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-September. 1, 2023 @ 03:30 GMT |
Tags: Gov. Peter Mbah Prof. Chidiebere Onyia
