An Invitation to Dream - THISDAYLIVE
Long-term development happens on the foundation of government-private sector partnerships. While it is beyond dispute that government must set the travel trajectory through deliberate investments in critical infrastructure, institutional reset and firm assurances of safety; none of these can independently guarantee improved standard of living for the populace unless the private sector steps in to set up business ventures that create jobs and improve opportunities through innovation.
Development in our view is what happens when the private sector is sufficiently motivated to take advantage of public sector investments to pursue its corporate goals in ways that create prosperity for all. Beyond infrastructure and responsive institutions, development is about creating a network of advantages for hardworking men and women, cutting out the barriers to productivity and incentivising value creation.
Much of what we have done in Abia in the last 3 years is to rebuild our State into a regional magnet for the inflow of investment capital. I had long dismissed the popular but barely-effective pattern of making the pursuit of investors a standalone project with extensive outlays for travels, logistics and international media overreach. Investors, whether local or foreign, need not be cajoled with expensive razmataz to see opportunities when they are real; they have their independent tracking system and need not be told when to pay attention.
Capital as we know it, has a cowardly disposition with extreme aversion to uncertainty. It will only move when certain fundamentals are guaranteed and these include quality infrastructure, security of lives and property and ultimately, responsive institutions. On the other hand, it will vote with its feet when the objective conditions are either missing or have deteriorated.
Since we already knew the dynamics of drawing investment capital, it became more practical to focus on fixing our stock of public infrastructure, particularly roads, to open up the State, connect destinations and restore confidence amongst the local business community. We took on long-abandoned roads in our important business hubs and fixed them to announce our intention.
Rehabilitating hundreds of kilometres of roads in the early months of the administration was only a foundational, we bore no illusion as to how much we could achieve by fixing roads alone. The truth is that investors don’t look at infrastructure in isolation, they are much keener on the entire ecosystem.
Therefore, as the construction engineers worked the earthmoving machines to fix the roads, we also found it expedient to evacuate the mountains of refuse that had become the defining landmarks of our urban centres. The other development frontier that needed emergency attention was security because the State, by the time we came to office, was already locked in a fierce territorial battle in at least 2 local government areas where various criminal franchises had taken control of community assets.
Right from the inauguration podium, we made it clear that not one inch of our territory shall be yielded to non-state actors, whatever their persuasion. Two options were placed on the table: denounce criminality and become law abiding or quietly pack your bag and leave Abia for good. A few weeks later, we launched a joint security task force codenamed “operation crush.” The well-motivated and equipped team had an express mandate: use every legitimate instrument at your disposal to defend the right of our people to go about their lawful businesses, own property and pursue their dreams as guaranteed in our laws. And it followed our instruction to the letter.
In the weeks that followed, a new sense of optimism began to unfold, residents could actually see the bulldozers and payloaders working in their neighbourhoods, news of violent crimes began to thin out and subsequently, a new identity of Abia started unfolding.
At any rate, it would be untrue to suggest that we have built a model State in only 39 months; what we have simply done is to set a strong foundation to carry the weight of public expectations. It is for this reason that we are as mindful of the opportunities that develop with each new kilometre of road constructed as we are to the promises that a clean environment holds; we are as invested in the health and wellbeing of the population as we are attentive to the manpower needs of the emerging economy; we care about progress in our electricity reform initiatives very much like we do for all the other development benchmarks.
We have gathered this morning to share the Abia story, to talk about what has changed and the opportunities for the residents and businesses. Ultimately, our central objective is to interact with the community of investors, share first hand insights and answer your questions about what to expect when setting up shop in our State. Let me on this note, thank the decision-makers here at the Nigerian-British Chamber of Commerce (NBCC) for providing us with this platform to share highlights of our progress with reputable business leaders and stretch the bridge of the new Abia prosperity.
Our profound appreciation goes to Prince Abimbola Olashore, the President and Chairman of the NBCC Council and his entire team for their magnanimity and goodwill. Words of gratitude are also due to the British High Commission for its active presence. Let me specially thank the High Commissioner and his team for their interest and attention to the modest progress happening in our dear State. We are particularly grateful to leaders of the business community who have graciously joined us for this interaction.
It is still early days but the good news is that we are on the right trajectory as the verdict of independent development observers attest. Data from reputable tracking platforms like BudgIT and Phillips Consulting indicate that our State committed the most resources per resident on capital spending according to available national expenditure figures; this report may actually not be a surprise to those who have followed our budgetary outlook in the last 3 years in view of the fact that we allocate at the minimum, 80% of the entire outlay to capital expenditure.
More fundamentally, our commitment to the holistic and rapid development of the State has seen us push the bar on fiscal parameters like total budget growth and jump in capital allocation. Beyond our decent performance with respect to improving infrastructure quality and spread, our 15% outlay for healthcare delivery has seen the State top the national chart on health emergency preparedness according to data by SBM Intelligence. Phillips Consulting also established that our State attained a good ranking on security of lives and property. The decision to commit 20% of our annual budgetary allocation to education, though expected to yield its best harvest in the future, is showing impressive signs of earning transgenerational dividends, even in the immediate.
Recent data from Phillips Consulting indicate that we are at the upper echelon when it comes to quality of public education. For two consecutive years, the state has maintained the 1st position nationwide in the Senior School Certificate Examination for internal candidates conducted by the National Examination Council (NECO).
For the business community, you will be keen to learn that we are in a good place when it comes to the Ease of Doing Business ranking and support for local enterprises. Entrepreneurs in the room, I am also sure, would particularly be pleased to know that the cost of public transportation in Abia, as measured by the spent paid per kilometre of commute on regular transport vehicles, is the lowest in the entire country. For those who may have also paid attention, this would not come as a complete surprise considering the quality of our urban and rural road networks, in addition to the strategic investments in scores of Electric buses which offers lower fares than internal combustion engines for intra and inter-city commutes.
Our transport infrastructure investments is crashing overhead costs for businesses, improving turnaround time and ultimately adding to net profits. Beyond the findings of credible institutional data analysts, including the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), routine observations in the streets of Aba, Umuahia and other parts of the State tell very encouraging stories; businesses that left the State years ago are returning back, school leavers and young professionals can now confidently come home to explore opportunities for career growth, occupancy rate at rental property is at an all-time high and in most urban destinations, business hours now stretch long into the night, impacting the velocity of money positively and creating prosperity for hardworking men and women.
Evidently, Abia is changing but our system of advantages is much broader; the State offers something more profound and you will find that in the creative energy of our people — the enthusiasm to work and the appetite to make the most of available chances. Our unique strength as a community is in the passion of our people for development and support for continuity of enterprise.
In Aba for instance, you will find several family-owned businesses that have survived the turmoils of war, political upheavals and countless social uncertainties; today they stand as enduring testimonies to the resilient spirit of the business community. While much of the credit for the longevity of these businesses belong to the founders, the often-understated truth is that the work ethics of the local staff contribute extensively to keeping the businesses alive through generations. This is a core component of the Abia advantage. When, therefore, you invest in our State, you are not only guaranteed a safe operational environment, you can also take it for granted that you will find a team of lieutenants willing to run through bricks for the success of your venture.
It is therefore beyond argument that investing in Abia is a rational decision for cost-sensitive investors because our solid enterprise disposition guarantees that overhead costs, especially transport, rental fees and security, are considerably lower. More fundamentally, the consumer market in Abia is expanding on 2 fronts; one, the population of the State is growing rapidly following the relocation of several households and businesses; secondly, our generous public expenditure framework regularly puts money in the hands of individuals and businesses which raises the propensity to spend.
In Abia therefore, you will not only find a robust market, you will also encounter a rare level of optimism amongst the population and the implication for growth is boundless. The question for the investing public will now be: where would you rather invest?
Lastly, I would like to talk about something you often do not hear or read frequently in the news. In March this year, I was at the Osisioma Industrial Layout to commission a multi-million-dollar facility set up by a regional investment group with operations across Africa. The venture took roots in 2023 shortly after our inauguration and today, they are producing and selling their beverage products in different markets.
Many of us may have read that a national agro-industrial giant is committing $200 million to the development of 14,000 hectares of oil palm plantation and produce processing plant in the State. Recall also that not-too-long ago, the African Development Bank and its network of partners, including the Islamic Development Bank and the Canada-African Development Bank-Climate Fund, launched the $263.8 million Abia State Integrated Infrastructure Development Project. The project is designed to modernise our urban infrastructure, improve the architecture of public transportation and promote inclusive, climate-resilient development in Abia. Specifically, the project fund shall be applied in the rehabilitation of 248 kilometres of road in Aba and Umuahia, facilitate our waste-to-wealth programme among other body of development initiatives. Undoubtably, major economic players and financiers have seen the opportunities and promises that Abia holds. As expected of returns-seeking economic agents, they have quietly moved in to sow their seeds for guaranteed harvest. Again, we return to the question we asked earlier: where would you rather invest? My informed advice would be a direct one: invest in Abia; invest today.
•Dr. Otti, OFR, is the Governor of Abia State; above is the text of his keynote address at the Nigeria-British Chamber of Commerce “Meet the Governor Series” event on September 10, 2026 in Lagos
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