Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
Governor Alex Otti has reaffirmed that Abia State is open for business, assuring local and foreign investors of a secure, investor-friendly environment capable of driving sustainable economic growth.
The governor gave the assurance in Umuahia while receiving promoters of the Aba Commercial Smart City during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the project developers and United Market Leaders/Traders.
Represented by his Chief of Staff, Pastor Caleb Ajagba, Otti said the 140-hectare Public-Private Partnership (PPP) project, strategically located at Osisioma, would reposition Aba as a major industrial and commercial hub, unlock massive job opportunities and fast-track economic development.
Describing the initiative as a game-changer, the governor said the project reinforces his administration’s conviction that investors respond to sound policies and an enabling environment.
“The Aba Commercial Smart City will profoundly transform Aba and Abia. It is a mixed-use, commercially driven smart city designed to modernise trade, commerce, manufacturing and logistics,” he said.
Otti recalled that shortly after assuming office in May 2023, his administration declared a state of emergency in key sectors, noting that the results are already evident.
“More than two years on, that vision is yielding dividends. Aba has enjoyed over 90 days of uninterrupted power supply. Investors are not sentimental; they follow stability, infrastructure and clear direction,” he added.
Addressing journalists, the President of Aba Commercial Smart City, Ambassador Osita Offor, who represented the Group Managing Director, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, described the project as the first of its kind in sub-Saharan Africa.
He said the Smart City would position Abia as a global gateway to Africa’s commercial and industrial revolution, restore Aba’s status as Africa’s commercial heartbeat and seamlessly link it to global trade corridors.
“With integrated power solutions, high-speed digital infrastructure and specialised economic districts, the Smart City will deliver jobs, skills acquisition, urban renewal and new opportunities in manufacturing, healthcare, hospitality and technology,” Offor said.
Also speaking, the Group Vice Chairman and former Inspector-General of Police, Dr Mike Okiro, said the project would revive Aba’s lost glory as Nigeria’s industrial and commercial nerve centre, adding that investors are already committing significant resources to ensure its timely delivery.
In a technical presentation, the Manager of Technical Services, Aba Commercial Smart City, Mr David Okoro, said the project is built on four core pillars: automated manufacturing and commerce; healthcare and hospitality; smart housing and logistics efficiency; and smart energy.
He explained that the integrated e-commerce platform and bonded terminals would eliminate importation bottlenecks by enabling seamless cross-border transactions from home, with goods delivered directly to users.
According to Okoro, the project is expected to boost Abia’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) and create about 25,000 direct jobs and over 100,000 indirect jobs across construction, ICT, manufacturing and retail sectors.
Earlier, the governor’s representative took members of the Aba Commercial Smart City team on a tour of key projects executed by the Otti administration at the Government House, Umuahia.
