...As state govt reviews overseas scholars' industrialization proposal
A prominent citizen of Ebonyi State based in London and Chairman of Diasporan members of Ebonyi State Overseas Scholars Association (EBSOSA), Chief Dr Emmanuel Ogai in this interview with VICTOR NWEGEDE at the weekend disclosed that foreign investors have approved partnering with Governor Francis Nwifuru-led administration to build a hydropower plant which can generate not less than 45 megawatts form Oferekpe water scheme in the state. He also stated that Nwifuru's administration is currently reviewing the industrialization proposal aimed at building salt, cassava value-chain, hydropower, fertiliser, building material industries alongside 100 megawatts gas-powered plant, forensic laboratories and Ebonyi Business Academy in the state.
Excerpts
May I meet you, Sir?
I am Chief Dr Emmanuel Ogai (Ugochinyere Eze 1 of Ngbo), the Chairman, of Ebonyi State Industrialization Proposal Projects which is being handled by Ebonyi State Overseas Scholars Association, EBSOSA- Investment Proposal and Appraisal Committee. I'm based in London and Principal Consultant with Shell Petroleum Development Limited. I am an industrialist and first-class Chemical Engineer graduate from the famous University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom of Great Britain. I am also an Ambassador of Youth and Sports Development of Ebonyi citizens in the Diaspora.
How confident are you that Ebonyi can be industrialized under the fourth Executive Governor of the State, Chief Francis Nwifuru as an industrialist and the Chairman of the industrialisation proposal projects?
I have been in the industry for over 20 years and when you talk about the industries, Ebonyi State is a very important state in Nigeria, that has mineral resources for different industries.
When the Ebonyi State Governor, Rt Hon Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru gave this assignment to the members of EBSOSA, I was made the chairman of the Proposal Collection and Selection Committee. We have to work on the selection of industries which we think will be very beneficial to Ebonyi State and Nigeria in general. The selection of the industries is based on abundant raw materials present in Ebonyi State. Seriously, Ebonyi State is blessed with lead, cement, limestone and salt minerals. Ebonyi is an agro-economy-based state. It's an agricultural-based state. It's a state blessed with other resources including the other mineral resources that are recently found in Izhi land. The industries selected will be tailored to match the available mineral resources.
How many industries have the proposal committee identified or presented to the state governor for approval and of course, for possible implementation by his administration?
We have identified the 13 key industries, that were selected to be tailored based on the available mineral resources in the state. We presented our committee report on the selected industries to the Ebonyi State Governor, Rt Hon Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru on 2nd April 2024. The key industries that we have presented to the governor for implementation now are as follows:
Number one is the Salt Industry. Ebonyi State is blessed with salt, which is found in Uburu and even in some parts of Izhi land.
The second one is the cassava value-chain industry. In the cassava value-chain industry, we are looking at how to use cassava to produce five different export product lines. The five different export product lines include ethanol. So many people don't know that cassava can be used to produce ethanol. But ethanol E10 is what is used for producing fuel products. Cassava is an important product for the production of fuel products used by vehicles. Ebonyi will be a very recognised state in the production of fuel additives. That's one of the products that we are going to produce with cassava. It is very important to note that Nigeria is importing about 200 million litres of ethanol every year. We don't know that we have the raw material here. As a Chemical Engineer, I produce ethanol from the raw cassava. The product when produced in large quantities will give the state, a lot of export revenues.
The second product that we are going to generate from the cassava is cassava flour. Cassava flour is a very important export material in countries like China. Cassava flour is used in making bread, different cassava salads and food items. They are very expensive export products.
Another product we can produce from cassava is chips. Cassava chips are very high in demand for export. We can generate a lot of export revenues for the state if the cassava value-chain industry is established in Ebonyi State. We have currently about 10 thousand tons of cassava chips in the export market and Nigeria is not meeting the demands in the export market. Ebonyi can be a highly valued state, cassava value chain can be developed.
The fourth product is cassava starch. So many people do not understand the benefits of cassava starch in Nigeria, because they are not into a pharmaceutical service or industry. Cassava starch is a very important export product. It's a cassava starch used in pharmaceutical industries. It is very expensive. These are four product lines that can be produced from cassava. With them, we can begin to increase our internally generated revenues, if the cassava value-chain industry is established in Ebonyi State.
The last product that can be produced from cassava is garri. This is the most common product of cassava in Nigeria. Unfortunately, garri is the least of the cassava products that give profits. As a Chemical Engineer, Processing Engineer and first Class Experienced Consultant especially in handling engineering equipment, if the state government can establish the industry, Ebonyi will no distant time become an export state.
The number three industry is the Oferekpe Hydro Power Project. We aim to utilise the water scheme at Oferekpe to develop power. We know the power in Nigeria. We are talking about industrialization. But we can't talk about having without thinking of power. We thought it would be very important that if we are going to industrialize our state, we should strive to have power that can produce electricity. That's why we felt it was necessary to think of power first as we are thinking about the industrialization of Ebonyi State. We have come up with the idea of building a hydropower project in Ebonyi State. We have done our internal studies to know the type of power that can be generated from the Oferekpe Water Scheme which is in the Ikwo local government area of Ebonyi State. We have in our preliminary study found that it is possible to generate about 45 Mega Watts of power from the water scheme. With this, Ebonyi State will be able to power these industries if established. The state can run on an independent power. It's because running industries requires independent power. This is very important in the state. That's the number three industry and we have got foreign investors. The foreign investors are only saying that the money they are bringing to power the industries in Ebonyi State must be secured. They are ready to give a loan to Ebonyi State to develop this power. They have the manpower. They are ready to develop technical manpower. They are Chinese investors whom I have had discussions with and have been ready if the state government approves the investment.
We have a fertiliser industry, which is the number four key industry. The fertilizer industry is very important in the sense that in the global economy, independent countries are looking towards means of improving agriculture because of the scarcity of food. Of course in Nigeria, we have a scarcity of food. I have also got investors from China, who want to build eight thousand metro tons of fertiliser consisting of 700 million dollars in investment. I'm assured that it is the highest investment Ebonyi State can get. I'm sure this investment will boost the administration of Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru because this is the first time foreign investors are bringing funds to develop industries over 700 million dollars in Ebonyi State. The industries at a stretch will employ not less than 1,000 indigenes in the state.
The investor for the fertiliser plant, will not only build a fertiliser industry but 100 megawatts of gas-powered plant. In totality, the investment will be about 700 million dollars but the Ebonyi state government will put in about 15 per cent, while the foreign investor is willing to put in 85 per cent for the fertilizer plant. This will boost the revenue of Ebonyi State and as well the administration of Rt Hon Francis Nwifuru as governor because this is the first time we have these kinds of investments in the state. This is the first time we have tried to produce a large-scale revenue. If these are improved, the state can rely on internally generated revenues. It will be a very good source of employment for the people of the state.
The number five key industry is the revival of the Ezzamgbo building material industry. It's our initiative to revive the building material industry is a very lucrative one. It's our initiative to revive the industry so that we can have specialised blocks for construction purposes and specialized rods for building purposes. We can have electric poles and other equipment for laying rural electrification. It's very rare, we have such an old industry. We have to revive such an industry.
Number six, a key idea was given to build the pencil production industry. So many people don't know that pencil is produced by one factory in Nigeria. That is located in Lagos and the market demand for pencils is very high. The pencil factory is located along the Lagos-Ibadan axis. We are saying since Ebonyi State has the lead, why not establish a pencil production factory, which we will tap from the resources that we already have? So, pencil production is one of the industries we are proposing for the government to establish in Ebonyi State.
Next is forensic laboratory which is not industry-based but could be used to tame crimes and fight security challenges in the state and beyond.
We have another project which is not an industry completely, like Skills Development Base. We have brought in this idea to train our youth in the areas of skills acquisition. We called it Ebonyi Business Academy.
When one talks about industries, like the mega industries, they are not the type of industries we have the technical know-how. If Ebonyi is going to have such industries, the state must have technical partners in terms of funds, construction, and imparting the knowledge that is what we call transferring the skills to the local people. These foreign investors coming in will help Ebonyi state to actualize the dreams of establishing the industries. Even Ebonyi State has the money to establish these industries but lacks the technical power. How will you establish the industries without the technical power? That's why foreign investors or partners are the keys to actualizing the industrialisation visions of Rt Hon Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru. The state can't achieve these without the technical partners. We don't have the skill development, skills gate locally like the fertiliser plant, among others which is capable of generating this kind of capacity. We don't have the local capacity to generate hydropower, cassava value-chains, produce ethanol, or export ethanol, and that's the number one area it will assist the state. The investors are interested in buying these products. For instance, cassava value-chain products are in high demand in China. They have an interest in the products in the export markets. They will be here in the state running the industries on behalf of the state.
What are your expectations from the Ebonyi government functionaries, both the former and present political officeholders; other stakeholders and well-meaning citizens of the state to ensure these dreams become a reality?
At this point, we are calling the good people of Ebonyi state including the political officeholders whether you are an elected or appointed officer, stakeholders, market women, rural people and well-meaning citizens of the state to rise on their feet to support the government of Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru to actualize his campaign manifesto anchored on the People's Charter of Need in the state. We have to support the government because Nwifuru's administration policies are people-oriented. You can see what the governor is doing in the industrialization sector. His vision is that Ebonyi State will become an industrialised state in the first of its kind in the history of Nigeria. I'm using this opportunity to call Ebonyians both home and abroad, those occupying different political positions and those who are not, to join hands to give the government of Governor Nwifuru the support it needs to succeed in achieving all his dreams. They should support the governor for instance, by being law-abiding citizens and keying into his visions to transform the state.
What was exactly the Ebonyi State Governor's response after receiving the Industrialization proposal from the committee members, of which you are their chairman?
The governor, Rt Hon Francis Nwifuru welcomed us and my team during the presentation of our proposal. The governor commended the selected industries to build in the state. The governor assured us that he would make use of the proposal. He set up a committee to review the proposal and present the findings to the state executive council members for consideration and approval before the full implementation.
You can remember vividly that earlier in his assumption of office as Governor of Ebonyi State, I called on all the indigenes of Ebonyi State in the Diaspora, to support his administration to turn around the fortunes of Ebonyi people through industrialization and human capital development.
I made the call when other indigenes of Ebonyi State in London paid me a courtesy visit at my London residence in Great Britain.
I emphasized that the good policies and programmes initiated by Governor Nwifuru are such that could result in the industrialisation of Ebonyi State if fully implemented.
I also identified some of the policies and programmes to include in the revival of Ebonyi State Overseas Scholarship programme, the 2km Road construction in each autonomous community in Ebonyi State, funding of industrial development projects proposals from Ebonyi State indigenes in Diaspora, and the upgrading of Ebonyi State medical services programmes and introduction of economic empowerment for the people of the state.
I informed my colleagues in London that Governor Nwifuru had indicated an interest in working with members of EBSOSA in the Diaspora by calling on them to submit bankable projects to his office for implementation.
I therefore called on them to utilise this rare opportunity to develop industrial project proposals that would ensure the industrial development of Ebonyi State, the Salt of the Nation.
Such a development project will eliminate poverty and improve the socio-economic development of Ebonyi State and Nigeria. I reminded them that such countries like Singapore, Taiwan, and others, never had a single drop of oil in their countries but became developed among nations due to industrialization.
I am an industrialist and first-class Chemical Engineer graduate from the famous University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom of Great Britain. I also used the opportunity to call on the Ebonyi State Government to ensure that courses leading to the industrial revolution of the state after the studies are given priority in the selection of candidates who would be awarded the Overseas scholarship programme of the state government.
As an Ambassador of Youths and Sports Development, I further called on stakeholders, Civil servants, and Traders in the state irrespective of their political affiliations to give maximum support to Governor Nwifuru to transform the state through his leadership quality anchored on the People's Charter of Needs. That's how we should go now to rapidly transform our dear state, the Salt of the Nation, to become more prominently recognized on the global maps in terms of evident leadership styles, industrialization, robust economy and human capital development.
