Abia To Establish Industrial Policy, Rolls Out Urban Renewal Plans

The Abia State Government (ABSG) is set to establish an industrial policy in the state to boost the ease of doing business and conducive environment for its people and prospective investors.

The Commissioner for Information, Okey Kanu disclosed this on Tuesday, at Government House Umuahia, while briefing journalists on the outcome of this week’s State Executive Council meeting presided over by Governor Alex Otti.

Consequently, the state government has set up a committee to drive the process of drawing up the policy and bringing it to fruition.

He said that the industrial policy has become necessary, following the strategic and massive transformation of the state in all areas of governance and the institutional reforms that the state government has carried out in the past 31 months.

“Abia State Government believes that time has come for an industrial policy to be put in place, an industrial policy that will drive the industrial development of the state, as it were.

“The state government, through its Ease of Doing Business Agency, has done quite well to enhance the ease of doing business environment in the state.

“In the coming weeks, when the policy is ready, we will invite the public to sit through a session where it will be launched” Prince Kanu stated.

He further noted that, a new industrial policy, together with a very conducive ease of doing business environment, would help to attract investors and development to the state, as well as market its potential, while strengthening its comparative advantage in various areas of resource availability and management.

The Commissioner informed that the state government has initiated more plans for urban renewal of the state which are in line with the development plan of the State – 2025 to 2050, and would be championed by the Umuahia Capital Development Authority (UCDA), Greater Aba Development Authority (GADA) and Greater Ohafia Development Authority (GODA).

According to the Commissioner, the intiative would be addressing infrastructure programme that is aimed at enhancing street naming, house numbering, and geo-reference to ensure order and all-round economic growth of the state.

“We know that most of our cities, when somebody directs you to a particular number, it will take you an hour to find that number. Why?

“Because our streets are not well named, they are not well numbered, and that creates a lot of confusion.

“So the state government has come up with an initiative to address this gap. The state government is executing a long-term development programme or plan, 2025 to 2050.

“Of course, you know that planning, security, logistics, and digital services to a larger extent depend on clear locations and addresses.

“You can imagine where there is a fire outbreak somewhere, and you are directing the fire service to come there, and there is no street address. You begin to say, if you get to that junction, you cross over there.

“So many of our urban areas still lack standardised street names and house numbers. Standardised street naming and house numbering creates a sense of order that obviously inventiveness investors.

“The state government will soon appoint a project manager to help manage and drive this very important project” Kanu explained.

Prince Kanu said that during the period under review, the State Ministry of Works embarked on direct labour works in 49 locations across the state.

He noted that, out of the 49 locations, three projects were completed, while one new project came into the Ministry’s maintenance basket, and a total of 31 road projects are on contract currently, while work is going on at the different locations.

He noted that the pilot rollout services of the electric buses are running smoothly as Abians and residents continue to enjoy free bus rides, disclosing that so far, 77,774 persons have benefited from the free bus rides and counting.

The Commissioner for Transport Dr Chimezie Ukaegbu, Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity Mr Ferdinand Ekeoma were present at the briefing.