Strengthening Partnerships, Advancing Development

For the Anambra of our Dreams

Oct 30, 2023

“Let’s finish the year strong”

When you hear things like this from your employer, know it’s a trap.

That is the trap we currently find ourselves in at the Anambra State Investment Promotion and Protection Agency.

This trap led us back to Abuja to commence the process of obtaining a Special Economic Zone license for industrial infrastructure projects the Soludo Administration is developing. We used the opportunity of being in Abuja to have meetings with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Nigeria, the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA), and the Nigeria Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC). We also had a virtual meeting with Afreximbank as a follow-up to the agreement signed at the Summit.

Returning to Anambra, we caught up with the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI) just before we ended the week.

As you can see, it has been quite a fortnight for us.

So, let’s get to it

ANAMBRA STATE GOVERNMENT MEETS AFREXIMBANK TO COMMENCE EXECUTION OF SIGNED AGREEMENT

To initiate the implementation of the signed agreement between the Anambra State Government and the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), a stakeholder meeting was organized to finalize the key aspects of the agreement’s implementation.

The meeting, attended by representatives from the Ministry of Industry, Ministry of Transport, ANSIPPA, Afreximbank, Artelier Consulting Engineers LTD (formerly Mahindra Consulting Engineers LTD), and CPCS, focused on aligning the expectations of the various stakeholders. The goal was to develop a work plan for tracking milestones on the feasibility study of the Anambra Mixed-Use Industrial City, AUU Automotive Industrial Park, Anambra Export Emporium, and the Anambra Rail Masterplan.

Additionally, the discussion touched on establishing a diaspora fund aimed at financing aspects of the aforementioned projects along with other initiatives. Afreximbank expressed its commitment to collaborate closely with the Agency for the successful implementation of this fund.

As this is an ongoing story, more details and proposed timelines will be provided in our upcoming newsletters.

ANAMBRA STATE EXPRESSES INTEREST IN OBTAINING A LICENCE FOR SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONES IN THE STATE

Recently, the Anambra State Commissioner for Industry, Christian Udechukwu, led a delegation to the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA) to formally submit an Expression-of-Interest (EOI) form and licensing payment, expressing the State's keen interest in obtaining a special economic zone license.

As a part of the delegation, the Managing Director of ANSIPPA, Mark Okoye congratulated Dr. Olufemi Ogunyemi, the newly appointed MD/CEO of NEPZA, and underscored the significance of the license for the State's economic development. He emphasized the commitment of Governor Soludo's administration to enhancing the business environment in the State and how the establishment of special economic zones would accelerate the growth of the manufacturing, trade, and commerce sectors in Anambra State.

In response, Dr. Ogunyemi expressed his appreciation for the delegation and pledged to expedite the licensing process for the State.

ANSIPPA TO COLLABORATE WITH UNDP ON HUMAN CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT

Still on our trip to Abuja, the Agency met with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) to discuss possible partnership areas.

Fatima Umar, SDG Impact Analyst, UNDP welcomed the delegation led by the Managing Director, Mark Okoye, commending the efforts of the State at its recently concluded investment summit; the outcomes, and investment commitments achieved.

UNDP also assured the Agency of supporting its activities, especially with its capacity building and technical assistance requirements; especially in areas such as sustainability planning and SDG streamlining, etc.

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To conclude our trip, we made courtesy calls to the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) and the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC).

At these meetings, we presented our activities for the past few months and emphasized the need for a stronger relationship between the Federal agencies and ANSIPPA.

ANSIPPA HOST TBI TO FINALIZE PRIORITY PROJECTS

Back in Anambra, we hosted representatives from the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI) and the Anambra State Department of Strategy, Execution, and Evaluation (SEE). This meeting is part of the ongoing partnership between TBI and the Anambra State Government, aimed at ensuring the administration's commitment to priority projects as outlined in the People's Manifesto.

During the session, the Managing Director/CEO of ANSIPPA provided a progress report on this year's highlighted activities and presented the execution plan for the current quarter. He offered updates on the agreements that were signed before and during the Summit and outlined the execution plan for the next two years.

TBI is currently providing technical assistance to SEE in the development of a comprehensive project management dashboard. This dashboard will monitor the implementation of priority projects in alignment with the transformation agenda of the Soludo-led administration.