Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
Efforts for the economic recovery of the South-East geo-political zone have received a major boost following the resolve of an international group of investors, Zenith Environmental and Social Protection Network, ZESPRONET, to embark on Trans South-Eastern Gas Pipeline.
The project according to the investors, will provide uninterrupted energy supply to the region replete with a lot of enterprises.
President of the group of investors, Dr. Emeka Oji, who disclosed this in Abuja said the group was poised to make the South-East a major industrial hub in the West African sub-region.
He noted that if the energy needs of the South-East were solved the zone would emerge as a leading region in industrialisation, and thus, provided the needed positive engagement for the teeming youths.
Dr Oji further explained that ZESPRONET was floated by the Alumni Association of Abia State University, ABSU, in partnership with other members of the public who shared in the group’s vision of transforming the South-East regional economy, in particular and Nigeria in general.
He said that concerned Igbo illustrious sons and daughters had decided not to sit back again and watch the zone that was once the fastest growing economy in the world to take the back seat.
Oji who spoke at the 2022 Fund Raising Dinner of the organisation in Abuja, said the group was determined to transform the business climate and the standard of living in the region.
“Being a Nigerian is challenging, then to have your circumstances of birth make you a south-eastern Nigerian adds a notch to your challenges as a Nigerian.
“We have also seen the disruptive effects of ‘stateism’ at the expense of competence in Nigerian; so we have made decisions that our charity will start from home.
“Our goals are two folds; we aspire to have an impactful project in each state university in south-eastern Nigeria in the next few years, but most importantly that the Governors of the south-eastern states in Nigeria will seek to partner with us in the coming years in bringing the best practices not just in the educational sector but other sectors of the economy.
“Our think tank group has designed blue prints on how to potentiate the huge economic base in South-East Nigeria into reality by encouraging all the State Governors to work together for the collective good of the people irrespective of party differences.’’
The project is expected to make industrial cities in the zone including Aba, Enugu, Onitsha and Nnewi the pride of Nigeria.
