…Partners FG on Ojukwu Bunker Revival
By Steve Oko
UMUAHIA — Abia State has secured $310 million in foreign direct investment spanning agriculture and manufacturing, while also receiving a $1 million donation of advanced medical equipment to bolster healthcare delivery, Governor Alex Otti announced yesterday.
Speaking at a media briefing in Umuahia, Otti said the inflow underscores growing investor confidence in the state’s business-friendly environment.
In agriculture, Otti revealed that PRESCO Plc will invest $200 million in large-scale palm plantations across 400 hectares in four locations within the state. In manufacturing, a multinational company has launched a $35 million beverage factory in Aba, with plans for an additional $35 million in a second phase and $40 million in a third phase to establish a mega production hub for nationwide distribution.
“These investments will generate jobs for youths and increase internally generated revenue once the agreed tax holidays expire,” the governor said.
In healthcare, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints donated a $1 million MRI machine, which will be installed at the Abia State University Teaching Hospital as part of a modern diagnostic centre under development. Otti noted that only 567 out of 771 advertised health professional positions for the state’s 200 renovated Primary Health Centres have been filled, adding that recruitment continues. He also highlighted the rollout of telemedicine services to digitize PHC operations.
On education, the governor said the recently inaugurated 5-megawatt substation at Abia State University has ended over a decade of power outages, with plans underway for a 15-megawatt gas-powered plant to enable the university and surrounding communities to disconnect from the national grid.
Otti further disclosed that work will soon begin at the Abia Innovation and Industrial Park in Ukwa West, with investors ready to develop projects including a modular refinery, fertiliser plant, and gas facilities.
On tourism, the state has partnered with the Federal Government to revive and manage the Ojukwu Bunker and the National War Museum. Otti described the initiative as a “major milestone” poised to reposition Abia as a key tourism destination and unlock new economic opportunities. He commended Commissioner for Culture, Tourism and Digital Economy, Matthew Ekeuribe, for facilitating the agreement.
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