World leaders, including President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and former Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. Ban Ki-Moon, will on Thursday and Friday converge on Owerri as Imo State stages its first economic summit in 50 years.
The world leaders will be joined by global business executives, including dozens of bank executives and energy experts, at the Imo Economic Summit 2025, with the theme, UNLOCKING IMO ECONOMIC POTENTIALS: PARTNERSHIP, INVESTMENT AND INNOVATION.
In a statement he issued in Owerri, the state Commissioner for Information, Public Orientation and Strategy, Hon. Declan Emelumba, disclosed that the summit was being convoked by Governor Hope Uzodimma to market the investment potential of Imo to the entire world.
According to him, the calibre of people invited to the summit, including governors and other industry players in oil and gas, banking, construction and manufacturing companies, reflected the seriousness Uzodimma attaches to its outcome, especially in attracting core investors to the state.
He listed some of those expected at the summit to include Prof. Benedict Oramah, immediate past President, Afreximbank; Mr. Abba Bello, MD, Neximbank; Engr. Effiong U. Okon, MD, ANOH Gas Processing Company Ltd; and Mr. Faroul Gumel, Executive Director, Tropical General Investment.
Others are Mrs. Adaora Umeoji, GMD, Zenith Bank; Mrs. Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, MD/CEO, Fidelity Bank; Issa Sesay, former CNN host; Chief Obinna Iyiegbu (Obi Cubana), Executive Chairman, Cubana Group; and Leo Stan Ekeh, Founder/Chairman, Zinox Technologies Ltd.
Mr. Ayo Sotirin, MD, Bank of Agriculture; Mr. Gilbert Sassine, CEO, CRANEBURG Construction Ltd; Mr. Oliver Alawuba, MD, UBA; Mr. Uzoma Dozie; and Declan Nwokoro will also be coming, he said.
Emelumba also disclosed that Uzodimma will leverage the summit to market the investment opportunities in Imo and what makes the state the preferred investment destination in Nigeria.
According to him, Imo currently has the largest gas deposit in Nigeria as well as the largest palm plantation in West Africa, thus making it attractive to those in the gas and agricultural sectors.
The Commissioner also announced that through the SkillUp Imo project, Uzodimma has trained more than 50,000 Imo youths in digital skills, making Imo a ready market for digitalized human resources.
He noted that the governor had, in the last six years, been intentional in the provision of basic infrastructure and other factors that drive industrialization in the state.
“Uzodimma has achieved core certainty in critical areas that drive industrialization. Security is improved, he has built more than 120 solid roads with connectivity to all the neighbouring states. We have the Light-Up Imo project that will start delivering uninterrupted power supply to parts of the state at the end of this month, and we have arable land for those interested in agriculture,” he submitted.
Emelumba also announced that Imo has an international cargo airport and is working to have sea access through the dredging of Orashi Lake to the Atlantic, in addition to an automated land administration information system that can process land documents from any part of the world within 24 hours.
He said both the governor and the entire people of Imo State were looking forward to hosting the crème of dignitaries attending the Economic Summit 2025 and wished them a safe journey to the Eastern Heartland.
