By Izuchukwu Adichie
Indeed, distrust in politics had already become a norm, and public confidence in our politicians is at its lowest because leaders are not bold enough to use state powers to solve societal problems. The coming of Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo has changed the narrative, giving people a reason to rebuild trust in leaders who are intentional and key institutions vital for thriving and effective democracy. If there is anyone who has proven his strong critics wrong and consolidates on its numerous achievements in just 17 months in office, it is, Governor Chukwuma Soludo.
I recall during the 2021 gubernatorial campaign he was a sole advocate of Anambra state as an investment destination – that is; an industrial hub to lead Africa’s export market under the African Continental Free Trade Area, to strengthen the dominant status as the shopping center of West Africa has the largest market and to orchestrate the traffic of millions of visitors per annum, many unbelievers didn’t give him a chance, as critics believed it was another political campaign promise. He has proved them wrong!
From day one when Governor Soludo assumed office, he has left nobody in doubt about his administration’s preparedness and determination to transform the state from importation to manufacturing for exportation hub. He has embarked on the massive improvement of state infrastructure, ensuring peace, law, and order are stable, and improving security of life and property. Apart from making Innoson Vehicle Motors his official car, and patronizing Akwette and Ogbunike producers, he raised the bar of governance when he took the campaign of showcasing the state’s limitless opportunity and possibilities to Ndi Anambra residents in Lagos and Abuja on June 24 and July 20, 2023, respectively, where he made a patriotic and urgent appeal to indigenes who own investments outside Anambra to think home, by way of investing as his administration prioritized economic recovery and growth policy which is the most powerful instrument for reducing poverty and improving the quality of life.
But Soludo is not stopping there. His administration is currently reviewing the Cooperative Law with a view of amending and expanding it to mobilize capital and make facilities available to businesses through the medium of cooperatives. There are about 20,000 registered cooperative societies in the state, and about 400 newly registered cooperatives ready to join the professional cooperatives of the state under the One Youth Two Skills program. The business-friendly environment created by the Soludo administration is supporting the speedy resuscitation of moribund industries in the state as part of his Industrialization and Made–in-Anambra Export policy initiative which will give the state a share of the African Continental market valued at $3.4 trillion. No wonder, it is strongly agreed that leading African industrial brands should originate and arise from Anambra given the endless opportunities and possibilities in the state.
One of the critical building blocks on Soludo’s journey to achieving the Anambra state economic growth is the collaboration which was sealed with the Enugu Electricity Distributive Company (EEDC) aimed at providing energy security and extending universal electricity access. Having raised the bar, proving the critics wrong with his intentional policies and consistent moves to build Anambra as a home for investment and following the current ranking by the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council which shows that the State ranks First amongst Southern States in the concluded Federal Government Ease of Doing Business report of 2023, and Seventh in the entire country, it is evident that Soludo is walking the talk.
Apart from the fact that he is the Chief Marketing Officer of all the Made In Anambra brands, a new world of commerce driven by aggregation, modern warehousing, a strict quality control board, and logistics are guaranteed at the Anambra Export Emporium to be located between Ukpo-Ukwulu in Dunukofia local government area.
The recent Anambra Investment Summit,which was the first-ever to be held in the state, has played a key role in highlighting major potential areas and unlocking the state to global investors. There has been a successful influx of manufacturing companies due to his business-friendly policies some of which are the expansion of Tiger Foods Ltd tomato paste line in Obosi, Milton steel manufacturing company in Awkuzu, KM Lubricant factory at Ogbaru and ground breaking for the Kojo motors auto assembly and natural gas facility in Umunya, this first-ever car enabled Gas Manufacturing is the first plant in Nigeria and it was heralded by the concluded Investment Summit.
Yes, Soludo has proven the critics wrong, walking the talk on Anambra as investment destination with a total of thirteen (13) memorandum of understanding sealed with investors of areas of investment needs which as they proved the state’s readiness and preparedness to building a better future where there would be enough job for the residents, opportunity to create wealth and enabling shared prosperity in the state.