Building Bridges for Prosperity

By the People, For the People

Jul 16, 2023

Once upon a time, Anambra Insights was a weekly publication. Every week, we brought you new updates on proposals received, projects, and everything that happened concerning private-sector-led development in the State.

Our frequency has changed, not because we have less to say, but because we have more to do. Nevertheless, in our effort to maintain transparency and accountability, we are still committed to keeping you up to date with our activities.

A fortnight ago, we successfully began a familiarization visit to development partners, embassies, and federal MDAs in Abuja.

We started our tour at the High Commission of India, where we met with the Indian High Commissioner, His Excellency, G. Balasubramanian, and the Second Secretary, Commerce Pranay Sinha.

During the meeting, the Managing Director, Mark Okoye, presented some infrastructure projects the State is currently developing and highlighted some potential areas of collaboration. He explained that the State was interested in revamping its textile industry and emphasized how the project will benefit from foreign investors while creating numerous jobs for Ndi Anambra.

Mr. Okoye also disclosed that the Soludo-led administration was exploring the gas potential of the State as a sustainable alternative for power generation.

Speaking, the High Commissioner expressed his interest in fostering a stronger relationship with the State Government and assured his assistance in encouraging foreign investment from his country to the State.

Anambra State Government representatives with the H.E. G. Balasubramanian and Pranay Sinha

The next place we visited was the Embassy of the Republic of Korea. The team was welcomed by the Ambassador, His Excellency, Kim Young-chae. Here, the conversation centered around developing a strategic approach to investment promotion and how the State can improve its framework for public-private partnerships.

Ambassador Kim Young-chae and Mark Okoye at the Embassy of the Republic of Korea

The Agency also met with the Nigeria Export Processing Zone Authority (NEPZA) to initiate the process for the registration of special economic zones in Anambra.

Recall that Mr. Governor had, in his manifesto, identified the development of industrial parks and clusters with special economic zones/free trade zones as infrastructure projects crucial for Anambra’s fourth industrial revolution.

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As part of our preparations for the Anambra Investment Summit, the State through the Ministry of Transport and ANSIPPA recently organized a virtual conference to delve into the economic opportunities of the Onitsha River Port project.

Presenting the Keynote Speech, Dr. George Nwangwu, Managing Director of Universal Elysium Consortium - the Concessionaire of the Port, explained that the company is currently in talks with NIWA and financiers to discuss the dredging of the river. He explained that this was a crucial step in order to optimize the operations of the Port in the shortest time possible.

Dr. Nwangwu assured the audience that the Port was already functioning with about 1.6 million cargos coming in annually. He opined that with the dredging of the river, the port would be able to attract over 60% of the shipment that currently goes to Apapa Port in Lagos State.

The highlight of the conference was the panel discussion led by the Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Chief Dr. George Moghalu, the Anambra State Commissioner for Transport, Mrs. Patricia Igwebuike, the General Manager of the Onitsha River Port, Wannes De Wit, and the Head of Financial Advisory and Debt Solutions, Dr. Tonna Ejiofor.

Passcode: #?8*FgXK (for access to video recording)

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ICYMI

On Thursday, July 20, 2023, Mr. Governor, Prof. Charles Chukwuma Soludo will have an interactive session with Ndi Anambra in Abuja. The meeting will discuss the opportunities in all federal ministries, departments, and agencies and how the State can key into those opportunities with the assistance of Ndi Anambra active in civil service.

The session will also allow Mr. Governor to present a scorecard of his 16 months in office and showcase the State’s future plans, especially in infrastructure development. This will be the foundation for future collaboration between the State and Federal MDAs with the assistance of Ndi Anambra civil servants.

Meanwhile,

The Anambra State Investment Promotion and Protection Agency is inviting undergraduates and recent graduates to apply for our Summer Analyst Program.

The 8-week program will provide trainees with invaluable insights and practical knowledge to understand project structuring & financing, asset management, public-private partnerships, etc.

We are looking for young, hardworking, and talented individuals interested in building up their skillset.