Hope Uzodimma, Governor of Imo State, says the state is now ready for national and international business.
Uzodimma made the declaration after launching the Imo Industrial policy.
The Governor who spoke at the launching of the Industrial policy at the Sam Mbakwe Exco Chambers, Government House, Owerri, on Wednesday, said the policy would “serve as the state’s strategic master plan to stimulate the growth and development of all sectors of the economy of the Imo State, identify and prioritize the low hanging fruits for immediate harvesting”
Uzodimma called on investors, to take advantage of the robust and friendly investment climate that his administration has put in place, to invest in various areas of the economy of the state such as digital economy, agro industry, tourism, oil and gas, mining, fabrication and in the allied industry that will be thrown up from the Imo State Green Revolution Initiative.
He noted that the launching of the Imo Industrial policy is another audacious step in his administration’s determination to put the state firmly on the road to economic growth and prosperity.
He further stated that the recently flagged off Hope Green Revolution project is an economic stimulus that buys into the investment opportunities presented by climate change to promote enterprise and investment in the state.
“The Industrial Policy is to offer fresh, pragmatic and actionable insights into the State’s thinking and approach to industrialization whose ultimate ambition is to place Imo on the part to long term renaissance where the policy is a long term sustainable initiative which will outlive this administration.” he said.
The Governor added that “the Industrial Policy is to offer fresh, pragmatic and actionable insights into the State’s thinking and approach to industrialization whose ultimate ambition is to place Imo on the part to long term renaissance where the policy is a long term sustainable initiative which will outlive this administration.”
He added that the 3R administration wants to, through the Industrial Policy, “provide the fillip to derive the economic rejuvenation of the State that will emphasize the provision of an enabling environment for the flourishing of Imo economy.”
In his presentation, the Director General Imo State Investment Promotion Agency, Dr. Jude Nzeako said the policy will among other things be a road map to strategic Industrial and economic investment of the State. He said it will enable the Government intervene in the areas of comparative advantage, stimulate the interest in the Local Government Areas on discovery of natural resources in such areas, and bring and collate other interests on economic development together.
Dr. Nzeako emphasized that the Industrial Policy will move Imo State away from a consumer State to a productive State, noting that the State is set to change her Industrial narrative.
But he advised for the political will to sustain the initiative.
In his remarks earlier, the Chief Economic Adviser to the Governor, Prof. Kenneth Amaeshi said what the Industrial Policy requires most is political will like that of the Governor as well as policy based on pragmatism.
For him, “the Policy will create jobs, companies will come to establish and invest in Imo State and with the sustainable potentials resulting from the abundant local natural resources of oil and gas, mines and agriculture and others the sky will be the limit of Imo State in achieving the industrial Policy.”
Earlier the Regional Director of UNIDO in Nigeria Mr. Bankole Jean congratulated the Governor for the initiative and acknowledged that it is the first time he has seen an inclusive policy that even involves Heads of Intelligence and Security Agencies.