The second edition of Anambra Investment Summit, is set to hold on Thursday, November 14 at the International Convention Center, Awka, Anambra State.
In a press briefing, the managing director, Anambra State Investment Promotion and Protection Agency, (ANSIPPA), Mr. Mark Okoye, said it was that time of the year when important decisions, bold steps would be taken to guarantee Anambra’s today and tomorrow.
Okoye who was accompanied by the Commissioner for Information, Dr. Law Mefor and his Commerce and Industry counterpart, Mr. Christian Udechukwu, said that at the event, investors of international repute, industrialists both within and outside the state, would converge and dialogue.
According to the ANSIPPA managing director, the organisation formerly known for only land and equity deals had migrated and keyed into Governor Chukwuma Soludo’ vision of making Anambra a hub for investment and industrialization.
“When all the lofty visions for the state must have been put in place, it will project Anambra to what it will look like in the next fifty years” he said.
“The governor is set to achieve this through provision of infrastructure, good road network, steady power supply that will be competitive as many investors will be signing deals for provision of power at a cheaper rate to ndi Anambra to drive the many investments that will happen in the state soonest.”
He recalled that the first edition of Anambra Investment Summit featured award of many projects by the governor which are ongoing and signing of contracts with many serious investors who are already on ground.
Mr. Okoye stated that this year’s summit would feature reports on ongoing projects and more contracts with investors whose capabilities were tested and trusted as well as engagements with more financial institutions since they were already partnering with Afrexim Bank, Bank of Industry, SMEDAN, among others.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Information, Dr. Mefor recalled that Governor Soludo during his days as the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, reshaped the economy the country’s economy. He expressed optimism that with the governor’s wealth of experience as a renowned economist, driving Anambra’s economy and that of Nigeria at large, would be an easy task.
On security, Dr. Mefor said that Anambra is very safe for investment unlike what is happening in other states. He urged Anambrarians to come home and build the Anambra of their dreams together with the government through the Public Private Community Partnership program of Governor Soludo.
The Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Mr. Udechukwu noted that Anambra State had been ranked the first in the ease of doing business in southern Nigeria, the seventh in Nigeria and the first state with super support to Small and Medium Enterprises in terms of tranches of funding that had enabled many of them to grow from small to medium enterprises. He added that the investment summit would be another opportunity to bring in more investors that would drive Anambra’s economy to the desired height.