The Enugu State government was on Thursday tasked to develop the state’s micro-economic sector as it flags off its inaugural investment and economic growth stakeholders’ roundtable tomorrow.
THE WHISTLER reports that the state government will, during the event, unveil a $2.1bn (N1.6trn) project pipeline that will span industries such as transportation, health care, energy, power and agro sector. The project, it was gathered, will assemble both local and foreign investors with the state unveiling what they would benefit to invest in the state.
Dr Ambrose Igboke, the president of the Guild of Public Affairs Analysts, Enugu State chapter, said the project would optimally succeed if the locals are more technically equipped. Igboke regretted that technical services in the state have been taken over by foreigners ‘because our people are no longer learning trades instead they are seeking to become aides to government officials’.
According to him, “I want to caution the government against growing macro-economic structures only. The youths should be in their villages and contribute to the economy of the state instead of clustering in the city. Most houses being constructed in the state are being handled by youths imported from Chad, Togo, Niger, Gabon and Ghana. People from other states are taking over repairs of vehicles and other technical services in the state.
“The state should look into our technical education to equip our youths. As investors gather tomorrow, our locals should be factored into the investments these investors will bring on board. We should tell and prove to the investors that we have the manpower so they won’t import labour.”
Igboke also called for the investment of the state government in the electricity sector, as well as reduce the cost of doing businesses in the state to avoid chasing investors away.
According to him, “There should be regular power supply to reduce the cost of doing businesses in the state. Good enough, power generation is now in the concurrent list. States can venture into the sector. We have coal deposits. We have tourist sites. We have abandoned industries that could be revived.
“The certificate of occupancy for land acquisition in the state is almost the highest in the region. The business of government is not to sell land. It should not also be based on multiple taxations, which exist presently in the state.”
