The drive to industrialise the state is explained by Emmanuel Enoidem, Commissioner for Investment, Commerce and Industries
NewsAfrica: This government has set a target of industrialising the state by changing its economic landscape. What do you want to achieve through this?
Enoiden: When we talk about industrialisation, we mean what the government can do both as a government and as an individual. This can be in the fonn of foreign direct investment or through local investors. These are the things we are consolidating on to give us the capacity to meet our targets. Basically, the present administration in Akwa Ibom is set to take the state into the industrial development realm to empower the people and give them an enabling environment for other investors to come.
Because of this, we have severally embarked on fact-finding missions to countries like the US, Singapore, Turkey, Israel, Britain, Germany and many others just to understudy what is happening there and replicate it in Akwa Ibom. Honestly, in our attempt at marketing the same on a global scale, the response has been tremendous.
When you say some industries have been rejuvenated, what do you mean in concrete terms and what are these companies?
We have launched a vehicle assembly plant where we can assemble buses, ambulances and even security cars. We have also done something on LED which is in the area of
electrical appliances for low energy saving bulbs. We have also done something on a factory that will produce fertiliser. We have got the endorsement for the expansion of the Shoprite Mall through which hundreds and thousands can be engaged. Not too long ago, we got the Africa Independent Television, AIT, to setup its state-ofthe-art studio here in Akwa Ibom. The groundbreaking ceremony for rolling out electric meters is ongoing in the state. Don’t forget too that there is an ongoing effort to bring up coconut factory because of the prevalence of the product here. This industry will be in the form of oil and refining of coconut produce.
We want to harness all the resources this state has, beginning from palm oil, which is in abundance here. The state government recently signed a MoU with a South African firm in that regard on a consultancy basis because the firm is noted for its exploits in coconut refinery. This contract, which was signed in November 2015, has developed to the level of clearing a 20,000-acre of land as its proposed site. Thousands of people will be employed when all of these fully come on stream.
The government is desperately wooing investors. What then are you doing to make the business environment as attractive as possible?
The global economic recession is not peculiar to Akwa Ibom but to all other states in Nigeria and outside Nigeria. However we need to do certain things to ensure that we provide a friendly business environment for them to work in. One area where we feel
that the enabling environment should be created is power generation. In all the states of Nigeria, it is only Akwa Ibom that deliberately goes out to ensure that power generation and distribution are improved. We have the largest licence to produce the biggest power in Akwa Ibom as we speak. Even before this time, we were the largest producer of power in the country. Now that we have the licence to produce more, we are doing it to encourage industrialisation in the state. Expectedly, in the next one year, Akwa Ibom will enjoy an uninterrupted power supply especially where we have industrial parks.
Where do you intend to have these industrial parks?
At least, we want to have one in each of the senatorial zones but the overall industrial hub is the Ibom Industrial City, which will be an international gateway into the state. It will be an integral part of Ibom Deep Sea Port. I just got the papers for the ITAM Industrial park. We also want to set up another one in Ikot Ekpene and then get the one in Ikot Abasi to work.
That of Ikot Abasi will be the major industrial park because of several peculiarities the place holds for the state. Plans are on to expand Ibom Airport in line with the industrial need of the state.
At least, we want to have one in each of the senatorial zones but the overall industrial hub is the Ibom Industrial City, which will be an international gateway into the state. It will be an integral part of Ibom Deep Sea Port. I just got the papers for the ITAM Industrial park. We also want to set up another one in Ikot Ekpene and then get the one in Ikot Abasi to work.
That of Ikot Abasi will be the major industrial park because of several peculiarities the place holds for the state. Plans are on to expand Ibom Airport in line with the industrial need of the state.
Government is also leveraging on the Ibom Deep Sea Port to develop it into a transshipment port, which is second to none in the country.
Remember, it is the closest to the coast so we will have a serious advantage over even the one in Lekki, Lagos. Beside all this, we have a pleasing natural environment in Akwa Ibom, an advantage that is not found anywhere in Nigeria. With a friendly set of people and a network of hotels like Ibom Resort with the best golf course and a pleasing ambience not known anywhere, it is a great advantage. There are several tourist attractions that we will not take for granted. These are our advantages and we will leverage on them as our unique selling point.
