Abia ready for global market, Otti tells Turkish investors

Alex Otti has beckoned on Turkiye investors to take advantage of Abia’s huge economic opportunities and current standing for global economic partnerships.

Otti made the call on Tuesday at the opening ceremony of the three-day Abia–Turkiye Investment Summit/ Summit Product Exhibition 2025, holding in Umuahia.

He said that Abia Government had built the infrastructure, security architecture and human capital required to support major manufacturing and industrial ventures.

“Abia is an economy on the rise. If you are looking for where to invest, you don’t need to look any further,” he said.

The governor also urged Turkish and other potential investors to take advantage of the state’s competitive edge.

He listed the state’s selling points to include a skilled workforce, steady power supply in industrial clusters, extensive road networks, and the presence of Ariaria International Market, one of Africa’s largest commercial centres.

He highlighted the emerging Abia Industrial Innovation Park, as a major hub for oil, gas, and manufacturing, designed to run on independent power and support from large-scale industrial operations.

He also spoke on the immense opportunities in housing, logistics, metal fabrication, fabrics and leather production.

He pointed out that Abia’s textile heritage, including the globally known Akwete fabric, had been set for international expansion through new partnerships.

On agriculture, Otti said that investors would find the state’s value chain profitable.

He said that reliable data had been generated to guide investment decisions across crop production, processing, and export opportunities.

“Whatever you put into Abia’s agricultural value chain will yield great returns,” he said.

Otti assured investors of full government backing, saying that administrative processes had been streamlined for efficiency and investor confidence.

He urged Turkish businesses to collaborate with Abia’s vibrant Micro, Small and Medium-scale Enterprise sector, especially in product packaging, branding and export competitiveness.

The governor praised the Turkish delegation for spotting the state’s emerging growth trajectory early, saying that the state is committed to converting its potential into measurable prosperity.

In an address, the Director-General of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), Dr Jobson Ewalefoh, emphasised the commission’s commitment to fostering successful public-private partnerships (PPP).

Ewalefoh, represented by a senior official of ICRC, Dr Amanze Okere, said that the commission ensures that all PPP projects undergo competitive and transparent procurement and rigorous due diligence processes.

He said that the commission, through its training arm, the Nigeria Institute of Infrastructure and Public-Private Partnership, provides capacity-building programmes for government personnel and key stakeholders.

He listed some of the subnational PPP projects to include the Lekki Deep Seaport in Lagos, Bakassi Deep Seaport in Cross River, and a multi-purpose Ondo Seaport.

Ewalefoh said that at the federal level, such projects included the Aba Shoe Factory and Daikon Soil Project in Kaduna with Turkish private partners.

He also said that in August, the ICRC issued new PPP guidelines to accelerate infrastructure delivery, enhance transparency, and attract private capital for faster delivery.

Ewalefoh affirmed the ICRC’s commitment to supporting Abia and other subnational governments.

He emphasised that robust PPPs had the capacity to unlock Nigeria’s full potential; building infrastructure as well as bridges of trust, growth, and shared progress.

The Commercial Counsellor of the Turkish Embassy in Nigeria, Mr Erdal Tozoghu, expressed the commitment of Turkiye to strengthening business ties with Abia for lasting mutual value.

“To build bridges between economies and futures, we hope this summit becomes a regular tradition and that more Turkish companies will join in future editions,” Tozoghu said.

In separate goodwill messages, the Managing Director of Vega Growing Global Enterprises, Mr Eniola Ojajuni, and Managing Partner of the organisation, Mr Abiodun Aderohunmu, highlighted investment opportunities in textiles, agriculture, manufacturing, and other sectors in Abia.

They also gave assurance that the present administration’s reforms made Abia a top investment destination in the South-East and expressed delight to be “proud partners in the state’s economic development”.

The Commissioner for Trade and Commerce, Dr Salome Obiukwu, described the summit as a bold step in deepening economic cooperation, unlocking opportunities, and strengthening partnerships between Abia and Turkiye.

“It serves as a gateway for potential investors to better understand Abia’s thriving sectors, such as manufacturing, agriculture, real estate, energy, healthcare, ICT and logistics.

“Abia is exposing itself to the world. In two years and six months, Gov. Otti’s reforms and developments have been unprecedented and transformative,” Obiukwu said.

Our correspondent reports that highlights of the event included panel discussions and exhibition, showcasing various made-in-Abia products.