Just recently, Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State in keeping faith with his campaign promises on investment promotion, agricultural development and social housing delivery, embarked on an investment assessment visit to the proposed East-Gate Enugu Airport City Development project being anchored by a private sector investor, NECI Land Development Corporation Limited.
The proposed project which has 142 hectares of virgin land adjacent to the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, has the potential of creating a wide range of business opportunities in the state and the entire eastern states at large. It is also an innovative business idea that involves the establishment of key investment components such as air cargo terminal, logistics hub, light industrial zone, duty free and export zone and commercial and residential real estate.
The governor’s visit was sequel to a proposal presented by the owners of the large expanse of land, which sought government’s backing and political will to enable them embark on a massive and innovative development drive in partnership with the state government under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement.
The project which is a revenue generation venture has a variety of business segments, which are of immense benefit to the state’s drive to generate revenue, critically needed to surmount the adverse effects of the economic crisis in the nation due to the nose-diving of the oil prices in the International market.
The segments according the said proposal, include: Skyview Estates, which will house mixed residential single family homes; core area, mapped out for business, entertainment and tourism; Enugu State Housing Development Corporation (ESHDC)/NECI joint venture residential real estate development project, which will cover 81 hectares of the land; aqua culture for aquatic farming (for export) and processing industries; greenhouse perishable goods (for export) and light industry; aerodrome and aeronautical facilities; and reserved areas for mixed use – residential development and airport support structures extension.
Under the agro based segments, the company is proposing a strategic partnership that would entail the direct involvement of the Enugu State Economic Planning Commission in encouraging and supervising all Local Government Areas in the state to work with its agro professionals and experts to identify agro products unique to their areas for processing and exportation through the industries that will be sited close to the International airport. Such products according to the proposal include: ose-nsukka, utazi, okro, palm wine, honey and fresh flowers.
Under the housing development, the company is proposing a strategic partnership with the Enugu State Housing Development Corporation (ESHDC) for the government to provide access roads to the area both external and internal, other infrastructure and logistic requirements to be agreed upon. And in return, the government gets 57% of the virgin land, boosts its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) by 85%, attracts development to its cluster-adjoining new development areas, creates jobs, and exposes itself and the entire eastern states to a wide-range of international business opportunities, among others.
Consequently, it will not be out of place to assert that the above proposal from NECI Land Development Corporation Limited is a quick positive response to the governor’s vision to “partner with the private sector, not only in housing development but also in agricultural development and industrialization” as he passionately stated in his inaugural address. It is also a timely answer to the clarion call by the governor’s quest that “we want people who are ready to enter into strategic partnership with us to develop Enugu State. We will provide the necessary legal and policy framework to make investment thrive.
“It is on this note that I wish to call on our people in the Diaspora and the business community to key more freely into the new phase of development in Enugu State. I enjoy their overwhelming support and goodwill for which I will remain grateful. Now, it is time for them to consummate this support by investing more at home and using their wide network of contacts to boost socio-economic development in the state.
“Although it is said among our people that ‘Ebe onye bi ka o na awachi’, it is also a fact that ‘Aku ruo uno, amara onye kpara ya’ ”.
From the above scenario, it is believed that the governor’s investment drive and his strive “to look inwards and harness those potentials which free oil money has blinded us from exploiting” have received a boost and have also presented the state an opportunity to make a mark towards advancing the development of the state.
With the recent constitutions of a 15-man Economic Advisory Committee, the Nsukka Urban Renewal Committee and other innovative initiatives being considered for revenue generation, foreign investment drive, employment generation, development etc, one is optimistic that Enugu will soon be the destination for the economic hub of the entire eastern states.
It is therefore, gladdening that the governor as a visionary and foresighted leader who had earlier declared his commitment to drive with full force in partnership with the private sector, investment promotion, agricultural sector renewal, provision of critical infrastructure, human capital development and skill acquisition, has by this visit to the proposed East-Gate Enugu Airport City to assess and evaluate the area, displayed his willingness to fulfill his campaign promises to the electorate.
Amoke, is the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media and Publicity
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