The Ebonyi State Governor, Rt. Hon. Francis Nwifuru, has announced the commencement of work on the proposed cement factory project as part of measures to accelerate industrialisation, create employment opportunities and strengthen the state’s economic base.
Nwifuru made the disclosure on Sunday, during a Thanksgiving Service held in Abakaliki to commemorate Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary and the 30th anniversary of the creation of Ebonyi State.
The Governor said the commencement of the cement factory represented another significant step in his administration’s drive to transform Ebonyi from a predominantly public-sector-driven economy into an industrial and investment destination.
He said the state’s development trajectory had been strengthened by the peaceful disposition, unity and resilience of its people, which, according to him, had created an enabling environment for large-scale infrastructure and investment projects.
“We are a very united, very calm and very hardworking people,” Nwifuru said, attributing the pace of development in the state partly to the peaceful atmosphere prevailing across the state.
The Governor said the cement project was consistent with his administration’s broader industrialisation agenda and its determination to establish projects capable of generating employment, expanding the state’s revenue base and stimulating ancillary businesses.
The state government had earlier approved the design, construction and operation of a 6,000-tonnes-per-day Engineering, Procurement and Construction cement plant in Nkalagu, Ishielu Local Government Area, in partnership with Jiangsu Pengfei Group Ltd.
The state government said a memorandum of understanding and an agreement had been executed with the Chinese company.
Recent reports also indicated that Chinese surveyors and geologists had commenced technical activities at the proposed project site ahead of the full implementation of the project.
Nwifuru, while reviewing the state’s 30-year journey, paid tribute to the founding figures of Ebonyi State, particularly the late Head of State, General Sani Abacha, who created the state in 1996, as well as Captain Walter Feghabo and Colonel Simeon Oduoye.
He also acknowledged the contributions of the state’s former civilian governors, Senator Sam Ominyi Egwu, Chief Martin Elechi and Senator David Umahi, saying their administrations laid important foundations for the state’s development.
According to him, Egwu made significant investments in education and human capital development, while Elechi and Umahi pursued extensive infrastructure projects across the 13 local government areas.
The Governor said the achievements of successive administrations should be viewed as part of a continuum in the development of Ebonyi, stressing that his administration was building on existing foundations while introducing new initiatives.
Nwifuru dismissed criticisms of the pace of development under his administration, saying the volume of ongoing infrastructure projects across the state provided a basis for assessing his government’s performance.
He listed roads, tunnels, bridges, flyovers and universities among projects being executed by the administration, insisting that the government remained committed to infrastructure-led development.
The Governor further warned that the state government would revoke undeveloped plots in Centenary City and Camp David Estate from March next year if the allottees failed to develop them in accordance with the government’s development blueprint.
He said the measure was intended to prevent land speculation and ensure that strategically located portions of the capital city contributed to the state’s urban development and economic expansion.
Nwifuru also expressed appreciation to political, traditional, religious and community leaders for their support for his administration, saying their cooperation had contributed to the relative stability required to execute major development projects.
The cement project is expected to add to Ebonyi’s industrial assets and revive the state’s long-standing ambition of establishing itself as a major cement-producing centre in the South-East.
The state has previously pursued efforts to revive the moribund Nigerian Cement Company, NIGERCEM, at Nkalagu, while the current administration has also established institutional structures to facilitate public-private investment.
Nwifuru said the industrialisation agenda would remain a central component of his administration’s development strategy, expressing confidence that ongoing projects would further expand economic opportunities for residents and position Ebonyi for greater industrial activity.
He urged the people of the state to sustain the peace and unity which, he said, remained indispensable to attracting investors and delivering sustainable development.
The Governor thanked God for the progress recorded by Ebonyi since its creation, while expressing optimism that the state would witness greater economic transformation in the years ahead.
