By Victor Nwegede
The long-abandoned 11-storey World Trade Center building in Abakaliki has been declared structurally sound, paving the way for its reconstruction and completion two decades after it was first initiated.
Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Jude Okpor, disclosed the development this Saturday during a press briefing on the outcome of the Ebonyi State Executive Council (EXCO) meeting held on Friday.
Okpor announced that Governor Francis Nwifuru, who chaired the Council, has resolved to complete the multi-billion naira project, which was originally conceived by the first civilian Governor of Ebonyi State, Dr Sam Egwu.
“On March 17, 2025, the State Executive Council resolved to conduct an integrity test on the earlier proposed Trade Centre located at Presco Junction, Abakaliki, to ascertain its present structural status,” Okpor stated.
He added that the Commissioner for Infrastructure for Concession, Engr. Ogbonnaya Abara, presented the comprehensive integrity test report conducted by independent experts. According to the findings, “the investigated building is stable and safe for use at the time of this investigation.”
Following the positive outcome, the Council has resolved to commence immediate reconstruction and completion of the iconic structure. An inter-ministerial committee headed by Engr. Abara has been constituted to oversee the project’s swift completion.
Governor Nwifuru reportedly received the news with great satisfaction, noting that the significant financial resources already invested in the building over the last 20 years would no longer go to waste.
He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to revitalizing the project, which is expected to house a Trade Centre, the Ebonyi Hotel, and various commercial establishments.
The development is expected to bolster job creation, enhance the state’s investment appeal, drive economic growth, and boost internal revenue generation.
It would be recalled that on July 1, 2024, the state executive council members approved a redesigned plan for the complex, signaling the administration’s early intentions to revive the stalled project.
