The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has commended the administration of Governor Alex C. Otti for significant improvements in Abia State’s industrial and business environment, citing developments in infrastructure, electricity, transportation, urban renewal, healthcare, education and enterprise support.
The commendation was made when the leadership of MAN’s Abia/Imo and Rivers/Bayelsa Chapters paid a courtesy visit to Governor Otti at his office in Nvosi, Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area.

MAN’s Abia/Imo Chairman, Prince Obasi Ekeagbara, said manufacturers were already witnessing positive changes across several sectors of the State.
The recognition provides an important assessment of the administration’s economic direction, particularly its effort to shift Abia from an economy driven largely by trading and consumption towards one increasingly anchored on production, manufacturing, investment, employment and export competitiveness.

At the centre of the administration’s industrial agenda is the rebuilding of the infrastructure and policy environment required for businesses to operate, expand and compete.
According to MAN, improvements in roads, power, transportation, urban renewal and other critical sectors are beginning to address some of the longstanding constraints faced by manufacturers in Aba and other parts of the State.

Of particular significance is the administration’s drive to revive moribund industrial assets, including the Enyimba Garment Factory, Star Paper Mill and Afro Beverages.
MAN described the revival of such industries as a positive development capable of stimulating economic activity and creating employment, while also strengthening confidence among existing and prospective investors.

The administration has been pursuing improved power supply for industrial operators, including engagement around dedicated electricity through Geometric Power.

For Aba, whose entrepreneurial and manufacturing identity is deeply connected with small and medium-scale production, reliable electricity is critical to reducing operating costs, improving productivity and enabling businesses to compete more effectively.
The administration has also pursued improved access to finance through its partnership with the Bank of Industry. The Abia State Government has provided counterpart funding for a ₦10 billion BOI matching-fund initiative designed to support businesses across various sectors, with the first phase structured around government and BOI contributions.

Another aspect of the emerging business environment is the administration’s drive to harmonise taxation and eliminate multiple taxation. For manufacturers, greater clarity and predictability in revenue administration are essential to investment planning and long-term business decisions.

Governor Otti has equally warned businesses against making cash payments to unauthorised persons, stressing the need for a transparent revenue-collection system.
Beyond infrastructure, electricity and finance, the administration is seeking to strengthen the wider industrial ecosystem through platforms such as the Aba Trade Fair and the Export Growth Lab, supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), which is aimed at helping local producers improve product quality, packaging and competitiveness.

The administration’s position is that government should create the infrastructure, policy direction and enabling environment, while the private sector provides capital, innovation, production capacity and market discipline.

Governor Otti, while receiving the MAN delegation, challenged manufacturers to improve the quality, scale and competitiveness of locally produced goods and position them for wider domestic and international markets.

He urged businesses to take advantage of the opportunities being created by government while ensuring that their products meet acceptable standards.

The MAN delegation, however, also highlighted the broader challenges confronting manufacturers, including high energy costs, inflationary pressures, limited access to foreign exchange, financing difficulties, insecurity and demands from host communities.
The association consequently called for continued efforts to revive more moribund industries, establish industrial clusters across the three senatorial zones, strengthen action against unauthorised levies and provide additional support for distressed industries seeking to return to full production.

The recommendations align with the wider industrialisation agenda already unfolding in the State and underscore the need for sustained collaboration between government and the organised private sector.

For Abia, the significance of the MAN commendation extends beyond a single meeting. It points to an emerging effort to connect infrastructure, electricity, finance, skills, markets and public policy around the productive capacity of the State.

With Aba’s longstanding culture of entrepreneurship and manufacturing, the administration is seeking to transform that resilience into a more structured, infrastructure-backed and competitive industrial economy.
The ultimate objective is an Abia where businesses can move beyond survival to produce, employ, expand, compete and export, thereby contributing more substantially to the State’s economic development.

The Abia State Government will host the British Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr. Johnny Baxter, in a visit expected to strengthen cooperation between the State and the United Kingdom in key areas of development.
The Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, disclosed this while briefing the public on major decisions and developments arising from the State Executive Council meeting presided over by Governor Alex C. Otti, OFR.

According to Kanu, the Deputy High Commissioner’s engagements will focus on power, trade and commerce, transportation, education, digital transformation and governance, with the visit providing an opportunity to showcase the transformation taking place across Abia.
A major highlight of the visit will be the flag-off of the SPRIRET Initiative, a UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office-funded programme designed to promote digital inclusion in the State at no cost to the Abia State Government.

The Commissioner said the initiative builds on the Digital Access Programme, through which more than 1,500 Abia civil servants were trained in 2024.
During the visit, Baxter is expected to pay a courtesy call on Governor Otti and tour strategic projects and institutions, including the Geometric Power Plant, Ariaria International Market in Aba, Nnenna Oti Bus Terminal in Umuahia, the Solar Project and the Ubakala Smart School Project.

He will also engage stakeholders in security, politics, civil society and the media.
Kanu said the visit further strengthens the growing relationship between Abia State and the United Kingdom, while providing another platform to attract partnerships and investment opportunities to the State.
He added that the development formed part of the administration’s broader efforts to position Abia as a more digitally connected, investment-friendly and economically competitive State.

Meanwhile, on workers’ welfare, the Commissioner announced that the State Government has commenced payment of outstanding gratuities owed retired workers, with payments covering 2001–2010 already made and preparations underway for the next batch covering 2011–2025.
He explained that the payments were being made in batches because of the substantial financial resources required to settle the accumulated liabilities, assuring that the government remained committed to clearing the outstanding obligations.

The Abia State Government has unveiled plans to transform key markets in Umuahia, including the Ogwumabiri Market at Ossah, through comprehensive renovation and, where necessary, relocation to more suitable sites, as part of a wider urban renewal programme aimed at boosting commerce, improving infrastructure and ensuring sustainable city development.

The Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, disclosed this while briefing journalists at the Government House, Umuahia, on the outcome of this week’s State Executive Council meeting chaired by Governor Alex Otti.
Kanu explained that the government is taking a holistic approach to modernising markets within the state capital to create a more conducive environment for traders and consumers while addressing planning and environmental concerns.

He also announced that the tendering process for the construction of the Pocket Estate Layout in Umuahia has been concluded, with the list of successful contractors expected to be released during the week.

On infrastructure, the Commissioner said the Ministry of Works is currently executing direct labour road projects at 46 locations across the state. He noted that three road maintenance projects have been completed, while two additional roads have been incorporated into the ministry’s maintenance programme.

According to him, the completed projects include the failed section of the Nkwoagu Junction–Nkwo Mbala Road in Umunneochi Local Government Area, the second phase of the Akara Junction–Ovim Bridge Road in Isuikwuato LGA, and the rehabilitation of Mazi Okoro Avenue in Obinkita, Arochukwu LGA.

He added that rainy season maintenance has commenced on the Opopo Junction–Azumini–Obehe Road, a federal highway linking the Enugu–Port Harcourt Expressway, as well as the access road to Obingwa General Hospital and the Obingwa Local Government Headquarters.
As part of measures to strengthen urban planning and public safety, Kanu announced that the state government has introduced mandatory soil and geotechnical testing as a prerequisite for obtaining building permits in Umuahia.

He said the policy is designed to improve structural integrity, prevent building collapse and safeguard lives and property by ensuring that every building is designed in accordance with the soil characteristics of its location.
The Commissioner further revealed that the Umuahia Capital Development Authority (UCDA) has intensified drainage desilting operations across flood-prone areas of the capital city to mitigate flooding and improve environmental sanitation.

Areas currently benefiting from the exercise include Adelabu Street, the drainage channel from Shoprite to Uwalaka Street, Asaba Street Junction, Ndume Otuka Road, Winners Church Ndume Road, Church of Christ axis and Finbarrs Road.
The latest decisions of the State Executive Council underscore the Otti administration’s commitment to modernising markets, expanding infrastructure, strengthening urban planning, improving road connectivity and building safer, more resilient communities across Abia State.