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From Jude Chinedu, Enugu
Agbaja Investment Summit targeting to promote business opportunities in Agbaja land kicked off at the Amadeo Event Centre, Enugu yesterday.
The summit is organised by Agbaja Leaders of Thought, the sociocultural organisation that promotes investment, economic development, ease of doing business, cultural tourism and social well being of residents and people of Agbaja area of Enugu State.
Presenting a paper at the event attended by captains of industry and entrepreneurs, former Vice Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Prof. Chinedu Nebo said that the summit is expected to expose the array of opportunities domiciled in the area which investors can take advantage of.
Nebo noted that Agbaja land which consists of Udi local government, Ezeagu local government, parts of Oji River local government and Enugu metropolis have business attractions such as the 9th Mile Industrial Area, Emene Industrial Layout, Coal Camp, Oil and Cashew belt and two economic zones; the Enpower Free Trade Zone and Lion Business Park.
He also revealed that there are industrial and agricultural development areas which offer interventional and domestic investors the benefits of connecting to business opportunities from the South-Eastern cluster which is the second economic cluster in Nigeria, outside the Lagos cluster.
“In addition to the area being fertile ground for hardcore manufacturing and industrial establishments, various exploitable natural resources about within the area, whose full potentials are yet to be reached, including palm oil, palm kernel, cashew, groundnut, pepper, plantain, banana, coal, various tourism sites among others.
“The area is blessed with geological waterfalls and caves: The famous Okpogho archaeological finds, showing that Agbaja land was smelting iron over 300 years BC might also be of interest to some. Although not much is being said about it, Agbaja area has abundant deposits of fossil fuels including natural gas and coal.
“These resources could drastically alter the perennial power/electricity poverty and usher in an era of sufficient power supply to several states in Nigeria when exploited,” he said.
Chairman of Agbaja Investment Summit and former governor of Enugu State, Sullivan Chime said that, “experience have shown that an astute investment in agriculture and free trade zones always trigger rapid and massive economic, commercial, industrial and social development anywhere in the world”.
