By Praise Chinecherem
Anambra State Commissioner for Industry, Mr Christian Udechukwu has urged residents of the state to expect massive changes and innovations in the industrial sector of the State economy in the next six months.
Udechukwu gave the assurance in Awka while hosting executive members of Nnewi Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture.
He said Governor Chukwuma Soludo as the Chief Marketing Officer of all industries in the state had been actively promoting made-in-Anambra goods.
Udechukwu revealed government’s plans to use power of procurement to spend money only on those businesses operating within the State; and to promote such entities nationally and globally.
He said, “One of the commitments that Governor Soludo made in his manifesto is that he will grow businesses in Anambra, and that he will create thousands of millionaires every year; and I am telling you that the next wave of legal wealth/money to be made in Nigeria is in Anambra.
“The State government is building new industrial parks, clusters, free trade zones; creating logistics hubs, thereby taking away the cost of acquiring lands and vehicles; removing the cost of building factories and warehouses for MSMEs and industrialists.
“Government is working towards 24 hours power economy, the agreement it had already signed with EEDC; and in addition, the State Attorney General is sending a bill to State Assembly, a law backing up the 24 hour policy and the market that will be created domestically.
“The Governor wants to build Anambra into a smart megacity, that the smartness comes from technology; and the idea of megacity is to be able to integrate all physical spaces in Anambra by creating access, connecting communities and people by roads, rail, water, and air.
“This is why Soludo’s administration in the last 1 year commissioned more roads than the successive governments ever did for the past 8 years; ensuring that communities in remote areas will be connected physically by roads, and by digital technology.”
Responding, the Vice President (Finance) Nnewi Chamber of Commerce, and Chief Executive Officer, Cutix PLC, Mrs Ijeoma Oduonye congratulated the new Commissioner on his appointment, describing him as ‘he who the hat fits’.
He expressed excitement and strong conviction in all the plans the State government had mapped out for the industrial sector, saying that those areas had been the heartbeat of the industrialists in the state
She prayed for more wisdom and strength on Governor Soludo and Commissioner Udechukwu, and declared that “by the time we hit the ground, Anambra State will be the bride and pride of this nation”.
