By Yinka Kolawole

The Enugu State Government said it is set to collaborate with the Indonesian government to attract investment aimed at facilitating industrialization in the state.

Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, Secretary to the State Government (SSG), disclosed this at the Nigeria Indonesia Trade and Investment (NIITF) news conference held in Lagos over the weekend.

Onyia said that deal will spur trading activities between Indonesia and the Enugu State, open up the myriad of investment opportunities in the state across key sectors such as energy, power and transport.
He noted that the state’s abundant mineral resources, fertile lands with rich plantations supporting production of the best cashew, sorghum, rice, cassava, and other agricultural species placed it as a vantage investment destination.

His words: “Enugu is blessed with untapped natural gas reserves and our vast natural gas reserves have imposed a responsibility on the state to drive the Nigerian green economy transition.
“Enugu is one of the first states to attract investment in CNG-powered buses and the state has the potential to be a leader in the clean industries of tomorrow.
“Enugu State is a vital trade and investment gateway into the southeast region as it boasts of a multi-modal transport infrastructure to support trade activities between the South-Eastern region, Northern Nigeria, as well as the rest of Africa.”
According to him, the state’s vision under the Peter Mbah led administration was to make Enugu one of the top three revenue-generating states and to attain a zero per cent poverty headcount rate.
Similarly, the Enugu State Commissioner for Trade, Investment and Industry, Mrs. Adaora Chukwu, said that the state’s partnership with Indonesian government was based on the state governor’s initiative to move the state from $4.4 billion to $30 billion economy.
She said that the investment forum would help to open up newer opportunities for investors, business, trade, and export arrangement between both countries’ economies.
Also speaking, President, Nigeria Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NICCI), Mr. Ishmael Balogun, noted that investments between both countries have shored up to $4.6 billion in 2022 from $2.6 billion in 2021.