Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru of Ebonyi State.
By Boniface Nwankwo
Between June 11 and 12, 2024, His Excellency, the Right Honourable Builder Francis Nwifuru attended the Tunisia-Africa Investment and Trade Conference in Tunis, Tunisia.
The Governor was accompanied on the journey by a distinguished entourage including the Commissioners for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Princess Nkechinyere Iyioku, Commerce and Industry, Chief Oguzorkanu Offia-Nwali, Trade and Investment, Chief Elechi Nnanna-Elechi, and Finance, Dr. Leonard Uguru.
Those familiar with the Governor would affirm that he is not one to embark on expeditions for the sake of it.
Therefore his decision to embark on the journey is a clear demonstration of his dedication to enhancing the State's development prospects, rather than being a mere jamboree.
Focused as always, Governor Nwifuru used the opportunity of the Conference to market Ebonyi State to Africa and the rest of the world, jumping at every opportunity to make Ebonyi State better and greater.
His Speech at the Conference on Thursday, June 13, 2024, was United Nations-esque and read in parts: "Ebonyi State is blessed by nature with an abundance of solid minerals, spread across the 13 Council Areas.
"We have salt, limestone, coal, cobalt, bitumen, ore, sand, chippings, onyx, zinc, lead and granite.
"Ebonyi is safe, beautiful, clean, progressive, untapped, productive, welcoming and thoroughly absorbing.
"We have legal frameworks to support and protect investors and their businesses in Ebonyi State, especially, the Ebonyi State Investment Promotion, Investors Protection, Concession and Regulatory Commission Law of 2019.
"I call on you all business people in Africa and around the world, to take advantage of this willingness of our Government to promote and protect direct and foreign investments in the State and bring your businesses to our land.
"We have removed unnecessary bureaucracies, and tax, and lowered registration requirements to accommodate investors' interest to increase financial flow into the State and more profits for your investments.
"All roads and flights should lead to Ebonyi State for business investments..."
The conference provided His Excellency the Governor the opportunity to establish a partnership with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) for the development of a railway line linking Onitsha and Port Harcourt in Ebonyi State.
It may interest you to know that the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is a European Group facilitating the transition towards open market-oriented economies and promoting private and entrepreneurial initiatives.
Motivated by a fervent desire to position Ebonyi State at the forefront of global development, the Governor also effectively forged a partnership for the revitalization of the Nigercem Cement Industry in Nkalagu, in addition to other captivating projects.
During the business excursion, Governor Nwifuru also embarked on a productive visit to COMET – a manufacturing facility in Tunisia, founded in 1971 and renowned for producing and assembling a diverse array of heavy-duty carriers.
With the commitment between the Ebonyi State Government and Proprietors of COMET, Ebonyi State is expected to soon have a factory for the production of various heavy-duty carriers, like covered vans, axle flatbeds and low-beds, bitumen tanks, fuel tanks, vacuum suction tanks, tippers of various axles, double cylinder tippers and cement bulker tanks, what a blockbuster deal!
It might intrigue you to know that the COMET team is set to carry out feasibility studies in Ebonyi State in September of this year.
This signifies that Ebonyi State is on the verge of becoming a global hub for commerce and investment, as all the collaborations are being transformed into tangible outcomes.
As His Excellency the Governor emphasized to attendees of the Conference and prospective investors worldwide, all routes and flights should now be directed towards Ebonyi State for business and investment purposes without any delay.
With soothing groundwork all but laid for the State's eventual transformation, it is expected that sooner than later Ebonyi would compete favourably with some Oil Producing States in Nigeria in terms of volume of internally generated revenue.
Only time and faith in the purposeful leadership of His Excellency, Right Honourable Builder Francis Nwifuru are the necessary ingredients that will make this happen, let us continue to support our dear Governor to take the State to the eldorado.
Dr. Boniface Nwankwo is the Special Assistant to the Ebonyi State Governor on Documentation.
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