Governor of Enugu State Peter Mbah has challenged Indonesian businesses and investors to stake their resources in the numerous investment opportunities in the state.
He said his administration has created the enabling business environment to guarantee maximum returns on investment (ROI) in the state.
This came as the governments of Nigeria and Indonesia pledged closer collaboration to boost trades and investments between both countries for their mutual prosperity.
Governor Mbah made the call in a keynote address he delivered at the 2023 Nigerian-Indonesian Investment and Trade Forum, which opened in Jakarta, capital of Indonesia, yesterday.
At the event organised by the Nigerian-Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NICCI) in collaboration with the Indonesian Trade Promotion Centre, Lagos, Mbah, who commended the growth in trade volume between Nigeria and Indonesia to $4.7 billion, however, observed that both countries could do much more, especially considering the abundant opportunities offered by Enugu State.
He listed the investment opportunities in the state, spanning agriculture, mineral resources, logistics, aviation, tourism, real estate, mineral resources, ICT, among others.
“In the area of agriculture, Enugu is blessed with 10 percent arable, fertile land with a high factor of productivity and good access to both surface and subterranean water that makes year-round agriculture possible.
“The state is climatically disposed to the production of key produce like cassava, oil palm, cashew, spices of various types. These areas offer not only the opportunity for primary agricultural production, but also the opportunity to invest in industrial facilities to add value to these produce for local consumption as well as export.
“The state is also blessed with significant deposits of minerals. In the area of petroleum, Enugu State has proven deposits of oil but more importantly has extensive deposits of natural gas.
“Other minerals within the state include coal, gold, kaolin, gypsum, clay, and limestone, among others. This makes Enugu ideal not only for mining, but also for the siting of key industries,” Mbah stated.
Assuring that Enugu was open for business, he said his administration’s target to grow Enugu State’s economy from the present $4.4b to a new level of $30b was anchored on extensive private sector investment and utilisation of strong local and international partnerships.
In his remarks, Nigeria’s Ambassador to Indonesia, Usman Ari Ogah, said the Investment and Trade Forum was yielding the required results.
“At this time last year, we were saying our $2.6 billion trade volume would go to $4 billion. Today, we are talking of $4.7 billion in less than one year. And the Chamber has said they are targeting $6 billion from now to December ending. I can bet you we will do it. And it is important I tell you that the balance of trade is in the favor of Nigeria”, Oga stated.
